Biennials, 50–100 cm; taproots slender and fascicles of thick fibrous roots. Stems 1, erect, thinly arachnoid and/or puberulent to short-pilose, sometimes ± glabrate; branches 0–4, ascending. Leaves: blades oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 20–30 × 3–8 cm, spinulose and otherwise entire or coarsely dentate to deeply pinnatifid, lobes entire or coarsely few toothed or lobed, main spines slender, 3–6 mm, abaxial ± persistently gray-tomentose, sometimes pilose along veins, adaxial faces thinly arachnoid and ± glabrate; basal often present at flowering, sessile or narrowly winged-petiolate; principal cauline gradually winged-petiolate or sessile, reduced distally, bases sometimes clasping or short-decurrent; distal cauline ascending, becoming bractlike, narrow, lobed or not. Heads 1–5. Peduncles 10–30 cm. Involucres hemispheric, 2–3 × 2–4 cm, thinly arachnoid or glabrous. Phyllaries in ca. 8 series, imbricate, proximally brownish, distally dark purplish, lanceolate to linear, margins of outer hispidulous-ciliolate, spiny fringed, pinnately spiny or with scarious appendages, abaxial faces with prominent, glutinous ridge; outer and middle appressed or only apices spreading, bodies minutely spinulose-denticulate, spines erect to ascending, 1.5–2.5 mm; apices of inner phyllaries often flexuous, flat, scabridulous. Corollas deep purple, 22–30 mm, tubes 13–18 mm, throats 4–5 mm, lobes 5–8 mm; style tips 4–4.5 mm. Cypselae tan with dark speckles to dark purplish brown, 4–5.5 mm, apical collars not differently colored; pappi 13–18 mm. 2n = 32 (Mexico).
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