Caudexes robust, base covered with brown fibrous remnants of leaves. Stems 20-70 cm tall. Basal leaves rosulate; petiole 5-7 cm; blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 15-35 × 2-2.5 cm, base decurrent, apex acuminate, margin spinose, rarely sinuate-dentate, tooth margin spinose. Cauline leaves similar but smaller, in 2 or 3 whorls of 4, rarely opposite, gradually becoming sessile upward, glabrous. Inflorescence of 6-8 whorls, compact but separated after anthesis; each whorl with 4 involucral bracts, these narrowly ovate, 2.5-3 cm, glabrous, base densely spinose, margins spinose, apex acuminate; involucels tubular, 1.2-1.5 cm, stalked, outside pubescent, apex ca. 10-spinose. Calyx green, 8-10 mm, both sides pubescent, 2-lipped, each lip 2-lobed; lobes lanceolate, 5-6 mm, long ciliate, apex obtuse or 2-spinose at apex. Corolla green-yellow, slightly shorter than calyx, 7-9 mm, outside villous; limb 2-lipped; lobes 5. Stamens inserted at upper part of corolla tube; filaments short, villous; staminodes subsessile, inserted at base of corolla tube. Gynoecium included, slightly longer than stamens; stigma capitate, slightly compressed. Achenes purple-brown, oblong, ca. 5 mm, angular and furrowed, apex obliquely truncate. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.
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