Annual, to 80 cm high; stems striate, glabrescent with a greyish bloom. Basal leaves short-lived, oblanceolate, pinnatisect, lobes spine-tipped; cauline leaves sessile, amplexicaul, lanceolate, 3–6 cm long, 5–15 mm wide, pinnatisect with narrow spine-tipped lobes, grey-green above and below, glandular, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Capitula solitary, 13–15 mm diam.; outer bracts more or less erect, rigid, densely grey-villous; inner bracts entire, erect, margins scarious, densely glandular, spine-tipped. Corolla 20–30 mm long, pinkish-purple. Cypselas 3–4 mm long, pale, smooth; pappus of many linear, acuminate scales, the longest 5–6 mm. Flowers spring and summer.
