Herbs, perennial, ca. 1 m tall. Stems branched, ridged, retrorsely spiny, up to 1 cm in diam. Basal leaves and lower cauline leaves wilted at anthesis; upper cauline leaves sessile, 10-15 × 4-5 cm, both surfaces hispid, pinnatisect; terminal segment much larger than lateral ones, elliptic, apex acuminate; lateral segments 2-4-paired; all segments large serrate on margins. Heads globose, 3-3.5 cm at anthesis; peduncles to 40 cm; involucral bracts 5 or 6, ovate-elliptic, undivided, abaxially hirsute; bracts obovate, 9-11 mm; rostrum triangular, ca. 5 mm; base ca. 2 mm wide, spiny-hirsute on 2 lateral sides; involucels ca. 3 mm, glabrous, 4-ribbed and 4-dentate, with 4 minute teeth and 4 obscure ribs between large teeth and ribs. Calyx shallowly cup-shaped, 4-lobed, ca. 1 mm, edges spiny-hirsute. Corolla black-purple, funnelform, ca. 1.1 cm, base narrowly tubular, ca. 3.5 mm. Stamens exserted. Fl. Sep.
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