Perennial herb 40–210 cm high; stems erect, purple, with ascending branches, white-tomentose but glabrescent, glandular-setose.. Leaves stiff, spiny, pinnatipartite to tripinnatipartite, (ob-)ovate or elliptic in outline, 2–62 cm long, 1–20 cm wide, with numerous linear spine-tipped segments reduced in size towards the base, basally attenuate, thinly araneose but glabrescent and with scattered glandular setae above, white-tomentose beneath except for glabrescent midrib which has scattered glands.. Capitula 30–38 mm long, in dense terminal globose synflorescences 7–9 cm in diameter; phyllaries narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate (outermost spatulate), 10–35 mm long, laciniate-ciliate distally, spinescent and with a long spine with few short lateral spines towards its base.. Corolla white or rarely pale blue, tube 5–8 mm long, shortly glandular and sometimes pilose, lobes 5–9.5 mm long, anthers blue and cream, style branches cream.. Achenes ± 11 mm long, densely ascending-pilose; pappus of narrow fimbrillate scales 1–3 mm long.
Home