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

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