Roots elongate, branched. Caudexes short, covered with black-brown fibrous remnants of old leaves. Stems ca. 45 cm tall, glabrous below, villous above. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole 4-8 cm; leaf blade elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 9-12 × 2.5-3 cm, both surfaces glabrous, base attenuate to petiole, margin spinulose only at base, apex acute; cauline leaves similar, in whorls of 4, sessile or shortly petiolate. Inflorescence of 6 or 7 whorls, lower whorls often separate from each other, upper ones compact, each whorl with 4 involucral bracts; involucral bracts ovate, 2.5-3.5 cm, glabrous or white villous at base, spinulose only along lower margins, apex acute or rounded; involucels tubular-campanulate, 1-1.5 cm, white villous outside, apex with 10-12 spines; spines unequal in length, 6 or 7 longer, 2-3 mm. Calyx campanulate, ca. 9 mm, villous, 2-lobed; lobes 4.5-5 mm, apex emarginate, rounded. Corolla shorter than calyx, pale green, tubular, 5-6 mm, villous outside; limb slightly 2-lipped; lobes 5, subequal. Fertile stamens inserted at upper part of corolla tube; filaments short, barbate; staminodes inserted at base of corolla tube. Style slightly longer than stamens; stigma capitate. Achenes brown, obovoid-oblong, 6-6.5 × 3-3.5 mm, tuberculate-rugose, apex obliquely truncate. Fl. and fr. Aug.
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