Erect, profusely branched, densely hairy, glandular perennial, rarely annual herbs with basally rosetted and alternate, bipinnatifid to bipinnatisect, broadly lanceolate to lanceolate, semiamplexicaul, spinose to unarmed leaves. Capitula subsessile to pedunculate, large, homogamous, ovoid-globose, solitary, terminal or laxly corymbose. Phyllaries imbricate, multiseriate, outer thick, triangular-ovate to ± oblong, entire, terminally pungent yellow spined, median ± oblong-ovate, acuminate, inner narrowly oblong to linear, with an ovate and apically acute-acuminate appendage. Receptacle thick, fleshy, concave to convex, alveolate, beset with flattened, entire, white bristles. Florets all tubular, bisexual, purplish, violet or white. Corolla tube filiform, glabrous, unequally 5-lobed, lobes deeply incised. Anther filaments free, glandular pilose, anther lobes with an obtuse appendage at the tips. Cypselas  obovoid-oblong, glabrous, faintly angular, without an apical rim and nectary. Pappus bristles multiseriate, flat, plumose, basally connate into a ring, deciduous.

A small genus of ca 8 species, distributed  in Europe and Canary Islands, SW Asia; introduced in California. Represented in Pakistan by the following species, also introduced in many countries as a vegetable.