Carthamus dentatus

Annual, to 1 m high; stems striate, glandular-pubescent, cobwebbed. Basal leaves short-lived, oblanceolate, to 30 cm long and 6 cm wide, pinnatisect, lobes spine-tipped; cauline leaves sessile, amplexicaul, lanceolate, 3–6 cm long, 1–3 cm wide, pinnatisect with narrow spine-tipped lobes, glandular-pubescent and dull green above and below. Capitula solitary, 10–20 mm diam.; outer bracts spreading to deflexed, rigid, often cobwebbed; inner bracts entire, erect, glandular, spine-tipped. Corolla 25–30 mm long, pale violet to pinkish-purple. Cypselas 5–6 mm long, pale, rough towards apex; pappus of many linear, acute scales, the longest to c. 15 mm. Flowers spring and summer.