Erect, clumping, non-stoloniferous, perennial herb to c. 40 cm high; branches glabrous to sparsely hairy. Leaves 11–17-foliolate, narrowly obovate to oblanceolate in outline, 6–13 cm long; leaflets more or less obovate, the largest 8–20 mm long, 5–10 mm wide, margins deeply lobed, recurved, upper surface shiny green and glabrous, lower surface glaucous, sparsely pilose, mostly on veins and margins; stipules entire to 3-lobed, 2–6 mm long. Inflorescence globose or ovoid, 4–15 mm diam., a few flowers scattered along the peduncle and in upper leaf axils; peduncles pilose; sepals 4 or 5; stamens 2–5, dark purple to cream; style 1, white. Fruiting head as for flowering head, 10–25 mm diam.; fruiting hypanthia globular, obovoid or obconical, pilose; spines unequal, 3–6 near apex 2–5 mm long, 10–20 lower down 0.5–2 mm long. Flowers and fruits Sep.–Apr.