Carduus chrysacanthus subsp. chrysacanthus

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 224

(a) Subsp. chrysacanthus :

Lobes of wings of stem with a spine up to 5 mm. Leaves with 10-12 pairs of falcate-lanceolate lobes usually 2- to 3-partite on the upper margin, the main lobe with an apical spine up to 5 mm. Involucral bracts imbricate or the outer usually recurved for their distal j, sparsely to densely arachnoidhairy; inner bracts 3-veined in the distal |. C. & S. Appennini.