Biennials or perennials, 50–100 cm, herbage not spiny. Stems erect, branched. Leaves basal and cauline; petiolate (basal) or sessile (cauline); blade margins ± lobed (proximal) or dentate or lobed (distal), sparsely hirsute (basal and proximal cauline) or glabrous (distal cauline). Heads radiant, borne singly. Involucres ovoid to spheric, 10–15 mm diam. Phyllaries many in 6–8 series, unequal, appressed, ovate, margins entire, apices obtuse to acute, narrowly membranous fringed, each with a short deciduous spine. Receptacles flat, epaleate, long-bristly. Florets many; outer neuter, corollas expanded and ± raylike, ± bilateral, staminodes present; inner fertile, corollas purple (rarely white), radial, tubes very slender, throats narrowly funnelform, lobes linear; anther bases tailed, apical appendages oblong; style branches: fused portions with minutely hairy nodes, distinct portions minute. Cypselae ± barrel-shaped, ± compressed, with elaiosomes ribbed, transversely roughened, apices without prominent collars, smooth, faces glabrous, basal attachment scars oblique or lateral; pappi of several series, outer of stiff, scabrous bristles, inner a single abaxial scale. x = 9, 10, 11.

Distribution

Introduced; Mediterranean region.

Discussion

Species 4 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Mantisalca salmantica