Erect biennial to 2.5 m high. Leaves with white veins and blotches, sparsely hairy above, duller and hairier below; basal leaves oblanceolate, to 60 cm long and 25 cm wide, pinnatifid, a small spine on each ultimate lobe, petiolate; cauline leaves smaller and less deeply divided, ultimately sessile, base amplexicaul. Capitula 3–5 cm diam.; peduncles to 30 cm long; involucral bracts lanceo-late to elliptic, to 5 cm long, glabrous; outer bracts with a spreading or recurved apical spine; inner bracts with an ovate, acute or acuminate apical appendage. Florets purple, rarely white. Cypselas 5–8 mm long, shiny, brown or black with a yellow ring at apex, mottled; pappus 12–20 mm long. Flowers mostly Sep.–Jan
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, VAlp. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas., New Zealand. Native to southern Europe and northern Africa. Scattered widely through much of the State, often in moist situations, on roadsides, wasteland and pastures. Declared a noxious weed in Victoria.
