Main stems creeping and rooting, up to 5 dm. or more long; branches ascending, often crowded, c. 1 dm. long, stout, woody, glab. Lvs up to 5 cm. long; stipules up to 1 cm. long, 3-5-fid; lflts 7-11, inciso-serrate, obovate-oblong, upper pair up to 1·5 cm. long, pale brownish green, shining above, subglaucous below; terminal lflt with petiolule c. 2 mm. long. Scape glab., up to 1 dm. long, naked or with one or two pairs of bracts. Heads up to c. 2 cm. diam., green to purplish; bracts linear, ciliate. Cupules c. 5 × 4 mm., compressed, 4-winged, lateral pair conspicuous. Spines 4, seldom > 2 mm. long, without barbs. Sepals 4, broad-ovate, glab., purple-margined. Stamens 2, anthers white, filaments long. Stigma simple, fimbriate. Achene 1, obpyriform.

2n = c. 84

Perennial with woody rootstock < 1 cm diam.; branches ascending or spreading, 1-3 mm diam., 5-15 cm long. Lvs 2-7 cm long, glabrous; stipules entire or 3-(5)-fid; leaflets 9-13, obovate, 4-6 × 6-9 mm, 7-9-toothed, bright green and shining on upper surface, subglaucous on lower surface; teeth deeply incised, often red. Scape 3-9 cm long, glabrous; capitulum 7-9 mm diam. at flowering, < 15 mm diam. at fruiting; florets > 100; sepals 4; stamens 2; anthers usually white, very rarely red; style 1, white; achene 1. Fr. obtriangular by the enlargement of 2 opposite wings, c. 5 × 4 mm, glabrous; spines 2, not barbed, enclosed in wings.