Herbs 40-70 cm tall, perennial. Stems erect, branched above, ribbed, unwinged, densely felted with multicellular hairs. Leaves discolorous, surface smooth, abaxially grayish white and densely felted, adaxially greenish and with multicellular hairs. Basal leaves persistent at anthesis. Cauline leaves sessile, elliptic, 12-22 × 5-7 cm, pinnately divided, auriculate semiamplexicaul; segments 4-8 pairs, ± obliquely elliptic, with 3-7 unequal triangular teeth; teeth with 4-14 mm lateral spines and apical spine. Capitula many, corymbose, surrounded by pectinately spiny bracts with pungent 2-3 cm spines. Involucre campanulate, ca. 2 cm in diam., glabrous. Phyllaries imbricate, in ca. 5 rows, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 8-12 × ca. 3 mm, lacking marginal spinules, wings, and scarious appendage, apex narrowed into a 1-5 mm spine. Florets bisexual. Corolla red, ca. 1.5 cm, tube ca. 6 mm. Achene brown, ca. 4 mm. Pappus bristles brownish, ca. 1.5 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

● River valleys, grasslands on mountain slopes, roadsides; 2400-2600 m. Sichuan.