Annual or biennial. Stems erect, ribbed, branched above, (10)-25-60 cm tall, with sparse to dense multicellular and cobwebby hairs. Lvs decurrent on stems, with both short curved and sparse cobwebby hairs; lower lvs oblanceolate to spathulate, toothed to lyrate-pinnatifid, 5-8 × 0.5-1.5 cm; upper lvs linear-spathulate to linear-lanceolate, becoming smaller. Capitula shortly stalked or subsessile, often clustered. Involucre broadly ovoid to globose, (6)-8-12 mm diam.; outer and middle bracts ovate, not veined, glabrescent or with sparse to dense cobwebby hairs; appendages recurved to spreading, not covering bracts, spinous, not narrowed at junction with bract, not decurrent on bract; terminal spine 6-10 mm long, pale or red-brown; lateral spines (2)-3-(4) on each side, 1-3 mm long, in (1)-2-(3) pairs at base of terminal spine, the other pair in basal ⅓ of terminal spine. Florets yellow, the outer slightly radiate. Corolla densely clothed in glandular papillae. Achenes c. 3 mm long, pubescent; pappus c. 2 mm long.