Herb to c. 60 cm high; stems somewhat woolly to glabrescent. Basal and lower cauline leaves petiolate, oblanceolate, to 20 cm long, 6 cm wide, toothed to deeply pinnatifid, apex obtuse, scabrous, cobwebbed or glabrescent; upper cauline leaves smaller, few, subsessile. Capitula ovoid-globose, 3–6 cm diam.; involucre 25–50 mm long; outer and intermediate bracts ovate, scabrous, with a suborbicular lacerate terminal appendage 4–8 mm diam.; inner bracts subequal to florets, lanceolate, with a scarious undifferentiated terminal appendage. Corolla 25–50 mm long, purplish. Cypselas 4.5–5.5(–8) mm long, striate; pappus 20–25 mm long. Flowers spring and summer.
Also Qld, NSW (presumed extinct). Probably now extinct in Victoria, known from the State by only two (1854) collections (Lake Omeo and Murrindal) where probably growing on black, fertile soils supporting native grassland.
The only native Victorian member of the tribe Cardueae and one of only two Australian members of the tribe.
