Main stems slender to rather stout, creeping and rooting, sts subterranean, up to c. 3 dm. long; branchlets ascending, up to c. 5 cm. long, glab. to pilose; lvs up to 3 cm. long, 7-13-foliolate; upper lflts c. 3 mm. long, rarely more, deeply crenate-dentate to subserrate, glab. except on veins below and at tips of teeth, suborbicular, subsessile to sessile; terminal lflt with petiolule c. 1 mm. long; stipules linear. Scapes pilose, up to 2 cm. long, bracts absent or minute. Heads c. 2.5 cm. diam. including spines, bractlets linear, entire or two-toothed at apex. Cupules glab., c. 1·5 mm. long, turbinate, angles thickened. Spines unarmed, up to 1 cm. long, bright to purplish red. Sepals ovate, dull green. Stamens 2, anthers white. Styles 2, fimbriate on one side. Achenes 2, seldom 1 only developed.

Rhizomatous perennial; stems mat-forming, c. 1 mm diam., < 25 cm long, soon rooting and covered by soil; erect branchlets < 2 cm long. Lvs 0.5-3 cm long; stipules entire; leaflets 9-15, orbicular, 1.5-4 × 1.5-4 mm, with 5-7 obtuse teeth, green or bronze and shining on upper surface, with veins and teeth dark, glaucescent and sparsely hairy on lower surface. Scape 0.7-2.5 cm long, pilose (), or capitulum ± sessile (); capitulum c. 5 mm diam. at flowering, < 3 cm diam. (including spines) at fruiting; florets c. 20 (), or 2-4 (); sepals 4; stamens 2; anthers white; styles 2, white; achenes 2. Fr. turbinate, c. 2 × 2 mm, glabrous; spines 4, pink or crimson, < 15 mm long, smooth () or with a few stiff hairs at tip ().