Carduus chrysacanthus, Ten.

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

10. C. chrysacanthus Ten. , Ind. Sem. Horti Neap. 1825: 12 (1825).

Perennial up to 40 cm. Stem more or less arachnoidhairy; wings palmate with lobes up to 10 mm, with a rigid apical spine. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, glabrous or sparsely hairy above, densely arachnoid-hairy beneath with long, straight multicellular hairs. Capitula 30-50 x 40-60 mm, depressed-globose, usually sessile, or peduncles up to 6 cm and 3 mm in diameter; outer and middle involucral bracts 2-4 mm wide, lanceolatesubulate, the mid-vein raised in the distal |, tapering into a longacuminate apex, arachnoid-hairy; inner bracts not exceeding the inner middle bracts. Corolla 20-25 mm. Achenes 3-4 mm, swollen, smooth; apical prominence sessile, 5-lobed; pappus 12-18 mm. Stony places and dry pastures. • C. & S. Appennini', E. Spain. Hs It.