Biennials or monocarpic perennials, 20–100 cm; deeply taprooted. Stems 1–several, erect, thinly to densely gray-tomentose with fine, non-septate trichomes; branches 0–many, ascending. Leaves: blades oblanceolate or elliptic, 10–35 × 1–7 cm, unlobed and spinulose to dentate or deeply pinnatifid, usually 5–8 pairs of lobes. well separated, linear to lance-triangular, spinulose to few toothed or lobed, main spines 2–7 mm, abaxial faces densely gray-tomentose or sometimes ± glabrate, adaxial gray to ± green, thinly tomentose or ± glabrate; basal sometimes present at flowering, narrowly winged-petiolate; principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced, sometimes spinier than basal; proximal winged-petiolate, mid sessile, bases spiny-winged, decurrent 1–3 cm; distal becoming bractlike, often unlobed or less deeply divided than proximal. Heads 1–many, in open corymbiform arrays or crowded near stem tips. Peduncles 0–25 cm. Involucres ovoid or hemispheric to campanulate, 2–3 × 1.5–5 cm, glabrous or loosely floccose to densely arachnoid. Phyllaries in 6–10 series, strongly imbricate or sometimes subequal, greenish to brown, ovate to linear-lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), entire, abaxial faces with narrow or scarcely developed glutinous ridge; outer and mid appressed or apices ascending to spreading, linear, bodies entire, spines ascending to abruptly spreading, usually fine, 2–6 mm; apices of inner narrow, spine-tipped or spineless. Corollas dull white or faintly lavender-tinged to bright pink-purple, 19–31 mm, tubes 7–13 mm, throats 6.5–9.5 mm, lobes 4–8 mm; style tips 3.5–7 mm. Cypselae brown, 5–8 mm, apical collars not differentiated; pappi 12–25 mm. 2n = 32, 34, 36.
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