Annual, villose-arachnoid herbs with alternate, ± leathery, inconspicuously spinose-dentate leaves. Capitula heterogamous, disciform, solitary, terminal surrounded by uppermost involucel of leaves. Involucre ovoid-globose; phyllaires multiseriate, imbricate, outer  mucronate-subulate, inner terminating in a long pinnate spine. Receptacle flat, densely beset with long bristles. Florets tubular, bisexual, outer neuter,  very small, sterile. Corolla yellow, obliquely 5-lobed. Anthers shortly appendaged at base, on free, papillate  filaments. Cypselas ± cylindrical, prominently ribbed, glossy, glabrous, apically with a dentate corona, obliquely and laterally fixed to receptacle, hilum lateral or oblique. Pappus biseriate, outer row of 10 long bristles, the inner of 10, much shorter, fimbriate setae.

A monotypic genus, distributed in Portugal, Mediterranean region, SE and Central Europe and South West Asia; introduced in Australia, USA, China and elsewhere.