Fibrous-rooted biennial. Stems not branched, or branched above, with soft scattered multicellular and fine cobwebby hairs, (20)-80-150-(200) cm tall, ribbed, with coarsely spiny wings between lf bases; branches slender. Lvs oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, green above, paler beneath, (5)-10-25-(35) × (1.5)-3-8-(15) cm, with sparse soft multicellular hairs above and beneath, often also with sparse to dense cobwebby tomentum beneath; lf lobes narrowly deltoid to linear; prickles pale, 2-10 mm long; uppermost lvs becoming smaller. Capitula cylindric to narrowly ovoid at flowering, erect, 1.2-1.5 × 1 cm, in clusters of up to 10; peduncles 0-1 cm long. Outer involucral bracts deltoid to ovate, with cob webby hairs; apex acuminate, with weak spine 1-(2) mm long, suberect. Inner involucral bracts linear, ciliate; apex acute, not spinous, suberect. Corolla magenta, 11-12 mm long; lobes 3.5-4-(5) mm long. Style slightly exserted beyond corolla lobes. Achenes pale, narrowly obovoid, 3-3.5 × c. 1 mm; pappus 8-12 mm long; cilia on pappus bristles 1-2 mm long.
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A herb. It is a thistle. It takes 2 years to complete its life cycle. It grows 1.5 m tall. The stems have spiny wings. The leaves have lobes. The leaves on the stem have more distinct lobes. The leaves are dark green with purple tints. They are hairy but shiny. The leaves at the base have stalks and spines.
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