Main stems stout, woody, creeping and rooting, up to 1m. long; branches ascending, stout, c. 5-10 cm. long, pilose. Lvs 5-10 cm. or more long, petioles silky-pilose, lflts 11-15. Stipules obliquely lanceolate, c. 6-8 mm. long, 3-4-fid. Upper lflts 12-15 mm. long, elliptic to obovate-oblong, subsessile, subserrate-crenate, vivid dark green and glab. above, pale below and pilose on veins; terminal lflt on petiolule c. 3 mm. long. Scapes c. 10 cm. long, stout, with or without one or more pairs of bracts. Heads, including spines, c. 3·5 cm. diam. sts smaller; bractlets linear, c. 4 mm. long. Cupules obconic, tetragonous, pilose, c. 3-4 mm. long. Spines c. 1 cm. long, occ. shorter, dark purple. Sepals lanceolate to broad-lanceolate, ± pilose below. Stamens 2, anthers white, stigma plumose.

n = 21

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