Carduus personata subsp. personata

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 : 225

(a) Subsp. personata :

Stem slightly arachnoid-hairy to glabrescent, with wings up to 2 mm wide. Leaves slightly discolorous, greyish and with sparse multicellular hairs on midrib and lax, slender, straight unicellular hairs near the margin beneath. Capitula usually in clusters of 2-3; involucral bracts minutely serrulate in the proximal |, with apical spine up to 1 mm. Throughout the range of the species except parts of the south and east.