Carthamus lanatus

Annual, to 1 m high; stems greyish, finely pubescent to cobwebbed. Basal leaves short-lived, oblanceolate, to 30 cm long and 6 cm wide, pinnatisect, lobes spine-tipped; cauline leaves sessile, amplexicaule, lanceolate, 3–6 cm long, 1–3 cm wide, pinnatisect with narrow spine-tipped lobes, bright glossy green above and below, glandular, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. 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, yellow to cream with darker veins. Cypselas 5–6 mm long, dark, often rugose towards apex; pappus of many linear, acute scales, the longest 7–10 mm. Flowers mainly spring and summer.