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Leaves numerous, decurrent on the stem; basal leaves rosulate, spreading, up to c. 30 x 4.5 cm., very narrowly elliptic, regularly sinuately-or bluntly pinnately-lobed, less deeply cut than the cauline leaves, lobes spinose-dentate, basal leaves withering before the cauline leaves; cauline leaves discolorous, ascending-appressed, up to c. 15 x 6 cm., more usually c. 8–10 cm. long, elliptic to lanceolate in outline, pinnatilobed with the lobes usually split into 2 narrowly triangular spine-tipped segments, the lamina upper surface green and thinly araneose at first becoming scabridulous, the lower surface densely white araneose often with a brownish nervation.
Phyllaries coriaceous, progressively longer towards the inside, from c. 4 mm. long and narrowly ovate outside to 16–20 mm. long and linear-lanceolate inside; the outer phyllaries with an indurated apical spine and strongly pectinate-ciliate margins, the spines and cilia smaller in the inner series of phyllaries; the innermost phyllaries fimbriate-ciliate, sometimes the apical cilia ± fused into an expanded hyaline margin.
Achenes stramineous or pale-brown, smooth and shiny, c. 4.5 mm. long, narrowly obovoid, obscurely 3–4-angular with a raised apical annulus; pappus several-seriate of numerous plumose setae 10–13 mm. long, the setae united at the base into a deciduous ring.
Corollas white to pinkish-blue, glabrous, 14–16.5 mm. long; the tube narrowly cylindrical widening abruptly into a broadly cylindric deeply-lobed limb 8–9 mm. long; the lobes 4–5 mm. long, strap-shaped.
Stems simple, up to c. 1.5 m. tall, exceptionally to 2 m. tall, sparingly branched above, longitudinally winged, leafy, puberulent below, white araneose above; wings interrupted, spinose-dentate.
Capitula 3–10, ± loosely aggregated at the stem apex; involucres 13–20 mm. long, slightly longer than broad, campanulate, often subtended by 1-several very spiny foliaceous bracts.
Rhizome up to c. 2.5 cm. thick with numerous white fleshy roots.
A robust spiny, stiffly erect, rhizomatous perennial herb.
Receptacle densely setose, the setae c. 13 mm. long.
