Japan Flora: Stems 1.5-2 m. long, pubescent while young; median cauline leaves oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, acute, narrowed at base, sessile, usually clasping, toothed, spine­tipped, sometimes pinnately lobed, the lobes chartaceous, ovate, acute, glabrous above, puberulent or loosely cobwebby beneath, glabrescent; heads small, many, in spikelike fascicles or in corymbs; involucres campanulate-tubular, 1.3-1.8 cm. long, 1.5- 2 cm. wide, cobwebby; bracts about 9-seriate, the outer very short, ovate, acute, the median oblong-lanceolate, recurved, short spine-tipped; corollas purplish, 16-17 mm. long.  Aug.-Sept.

Hokkaido, Honshu (n. distr.).