Annual herbs, 10-40 cm tall; stems simple below, branching above, densely tomentose when young, the tomentum becoming floccose with age. Lower leaves to 40 cm long and 25 cm wide, the sinus depth to 90% of the leaf width; upper leaves to 25 cm long and 6 cm wide, less divided than the lower leaves; the leaf bases clasping, tomentose beneath, glabrous or with a thin tomentum above, the marginal spines 5-12 mm long, usually longest toward the base of the upper leaves. Inflorescence of terminal heads borne singly or in clusters. Heads with the involucre 8-19-seriate, 4.5-6 cm tall, 3-4 cm across the base, the outer involucral bracts 25-30 mm long, 4.5-5 mm wide at the base, tapering to a 4-5 mm long spine, spiny along the margin, without a glutinous dorsal ridge, arachnoid-pubescent along the margins, the innermost bracts 40-50 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, tapering and twisted near the tip, erose; corolla pale yellow, 43-53 mm long, the lobes 23-28 mm long, the anthers pink to yellow, 13-16 mm long, the style purple, 53-65 mm long, the branches 2-2.5 mm long. Achenes 5-7 mm long, 2 mm in diam.; pappus 28-33 mm long.
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