Erect perennial herb to 60 cm high, with short rootstock and clusters of blackish tubers. Basal leaves to 45 cm long, (bi)pinnatisect, segments linear, spine-tipped. Main flowering stem arising from base of the plant, 1–3-branched from a pair of opposite spiny bracts 7–35 cm above ground level and dichotomously or ternately branched from succeeding pairs of bracts, producing a rather rigid dichasial inflorescence, the strongly ribbed flowering stems and flowering heads usually metallic blue; flowering heads c. ovoid, mostly c. 10(–15) mm long, c. 10 mm wide; bracteoles of involucre and apex 15–20 mm long, those subtending flowers conspicuous, exceeding them by 8–15 mm; petals bluish-purple, apex fimbriate. Fruit 4–5 mm long with crowded, thin, long, acuminate vesicular scales Flowers Nov.–Jan.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, HSF, HNF. Also SA, NSW, Tas. Occurs widely in grasslands and grassy woodlands, usually on heavy cracking clay soils, becoming uncommon in some areas through habitat depletion. .
Source:
Michael, P.W. (1999). Eryngium. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 260–263. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
