Annual, small herb, up to 30 cm tall, glabrous to pubescent and setose. Leaves in rosette at the base, 2 – 8  x 1 – 2  cm, runcinately pinnate, somewhat spiny along margin, glabrous to setose on the midrib below; upper leaves auriculate, undivided, linear-lanceolate, small. Capitula 1-5 in clusters, terminal or lateral, 4 – 7  x 2 – 3  mm, accrescent in fruit, up to 10 – 14  x 4 – 6  mm. Involucre 2-seriate, outer phyllaries broadly ovate, 2 – 4  x 1.5 – 2  mm, glabrous to setaceous; inner phyllaries 3-4 times longer than outer ones, cymbiform, lanceolate, scarious margined, keeled outside, glabrous to variously hairy and setaceous. Cypselas dimorphic, outer ones enclosed by inner phyllaries, ± 4 mm long, ribbed, curved and narrowed above, glabrous to papillose; central ones spinulose above;  beak 3 – 7  mm long; pappus 3 – 5  mm long, white.