Herbs 30-100 cm tall, biennial. Stems grayish white, erect, apically branched, unwinged, felted. Leaves leathery, abaxially grayish white and densely felted, adaxially green to yellowish green and glabrous. Basal leaves with petiole ca. 3 cm; leaf blade ca. 10 × 5 cm, ± pinnatisect; segments needle-shaped, patent at right angle, margin entire and revolute, midvein thick and abaxially raised, apex narrowed into a yellow rigid 5-10 mm spine. Cauline leaves similar to basal leaves but sessile; upper cauline leaves lanceolate, smaller, semiamplexicaul. Capitula spicate by 4 or 5 near apex of stem and branches. Involucre subglobose, 3-5 cm in diam., densely and fluffily cobwebby Phyllaries in ca. 9 rows, rigid, leathery; outer and middle phyllaries lanceolate, 1.9-2.2 cm × ca. 0.4 mm, apex narrowed into a straight 2-4 mm spine; inner phyllaries narrowly lanceolate, 1.8-2 × ca. 0.3 cm, apex narrowed into a ca. 2.5 mm spine. Corolla purplish red. Mature achene unknown. Fl. Jun.

Slopes, gravelly places in flooded lands; 4100-4400 m. W Xizang [India, Pakistan].