Biennials or monocarpic perennials, 20–100 cm; taproots long. Stems usually 1, erect, ± densely gray-tomentose with fine, non-septate trichomes; branches 0 or few, usually above middle in distal 1/2, ascending. Leaves: blades oblong to elliptic or obovate, 10–25(–40) × 2–6(–12) cm, coarsely dentate or shallowly lobed to deeply pinnatifid, lobes well separated, triangular to linear or oblong, often revolute-margined, ascending to spreading, spinulose to spinose-dentate, main spines 2–3(–10) mm, faces gray-tomentose, more densely abaxially, sometimes glabrate adaxially; basal usually present at flowering, winged-petiolate; principal cauline progressively reduced distally, bases decurrent as spiny wings 1–5 cm, sometimes with expanded auricles; distal cauline usually much reduced, less lobed. Heads 1–10+, terminal on branches or in distal axils, in openly corymbiform to racemiform arrays. Peduncles 0–10 cm. Involucres hemispheric to broadly campanulate, usually truncate or indented at base, 3–4 × 2.5–4 cm in first-formed heads, often smaller (1.5–2 cm) in later ones, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate. Phyllaries in 6–9 series, imbricate, ovate-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge; bodies of outer and middle appressed, acute, spines ascending to spreading, 2–4(–8) mm; apices of inner expanded and flat, often twisted, scabrid-margined, and erose, spineless. Corollas dull white or lavender-tinged, 20–35 mm, tubes 10–17 mm, throats 6–11 mm, lobes 4–9 mm; style tips 5–8 mm. Cypselae light brown, 5–7 mm, sometimes with darker streaks, apical collar very narrow, lighter colored; pappi 18–30 mm, usually noticeably shorter than corolla. 2n = 34, 36.
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