Annual or short-lived perennial herb, up to 60-(125) cm tall. Stems branched, glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy. Lower lvs forming a loose rosette, obovate or spathulate, coarsely crenate, acute to obtuse, cuneately narrowed to long petiole, glabrescent to sparsely or moderately hairy, 6-9-(11) × 1-3-(4) cm. Cauline lvs lyrate-pinnatifid; uppermost lvs 1-2-pinnatisect with linear segments, glabrescent. Heads long-pedunculate, radiate, (15)-20-30-(50) mm diam. Involucral bracts 8-14, lanceolate, < or = fls. Fls white, pink to deep crimson or mauve to deep purple. Fr. with 8 grooves in involucel-tube; corona 2.5-3 mm long, ± = tube, with 8 ribs of tube extended into lower part, the upper membranous part only c. 0.5 mm long and with c. 20-24 indistinct veins; calyx setae 5-7 mm long, giving a spinous appearance to the globose-cylindric heads.