A prickly glaucous herb, usually 35-40 cm tall; young stem whitish purple or violaceous, fading with age; prickles 6-9 mm long, with broader base. Leaves sessile, amplexicaul, basal leaves forming a rosette, upper alternate, variegated with white, 10-30 cm long, 4-10 cm broad, sinuate-pinnatifid; segments incised dentate, with sharp yellowish spines on the margin, midrib and the veins beneath; midrib and the veins on the lower side purplish blue; Flowers solitary axillary, white or creamish white, becoming yellowish on fading, 2.5-3 cm across, sessile or on a short pedicel, subtended by 2-3 foliaceous bracts; bracts 2-4 cm long c. 5 mm broad. Sepals 3, obovate oblong, with horn as long as the body, 8-10 mm long, 5-7 mm broad. Petals 6, obovate, 2.8-3 cm long, c. 1.8 mm broad. Stamens 7-10 mm long; anthers oblong, recurved. Ovary ovate, 8-10 mm long, 5 mm broad, covered with long pointed spines. Stigma deeply dissected, 5 lobed, reddish brown with an obscure style. Capsule oblong, 3-4 cm long, 1.5-2 cm broad, (with a prominent, 1-2 mm long style) covered with sharp, erect prickles. Seeds black, rounded, 1.5-2 mm in diameter, with fine reticulae.

Fl.Per. March-May.

Type: Cultivated in Britain from seeds collected in Mexico.

Distribution: Mexico; naturalized in many warm countries.