Annual or biennial. Stems branched above, (15)-45-75-(250) cm tall, with sparse cobwebby and multicellular hairs below, becoming more densely cobwebby above, ribbed; wing narrow between the deltoid to palmatifid clusters of teeth; spines 2-6 mm long. Lvs narrow-oblong, deeply pinnatifid, (5)-8-18-(40) × 2.5-10 cm, glabrescent or with scattered multicellular hairs especially on midrib and veins; basal lvs with 5-9 pairs of lobes; lobes pinnatifid to palmatifid-dentate; teeth spine-tipped; spines pale, 5-8 mm long. Capitula nodding, persistent, 3-4-(5) × 3-4-(5) cm, solitary; peduncle (0.5)-3-8-(12) cm long, (1)-2-3-(4) mm diam., leafless, not winged, with dense woolly tomentum. Involucre broadly ovoid to depressed-globose. Outer and middle involucral bracts geniculate; claw narrow-oblong, erect; limb lanceolate, usually broader than base, narrowly lanceolate-acuminate, deflexed to spreading, spine-tipped, ciliolate, the outer bracts sparsely cobwebby as well; midvein raised almost to base of limb. Inner involucral bracts linear, puberulent at base and apex; midvein not raised; apex acute, scarious, often purplish. Corolla usually red-purple, rarely white, 18-24 mm long; lobes 6-7-(8.5) mm long; swelling at throat of tube oblong, > 2 mm long. Achenes pale, ellipsoid, 3-4 × 1.5-(2) mm; pappus (12)-15-22 mm long.