Japan Flora: Stems ascending, 15-60 cm. long, branched at base, hairy and cobwebby; radical leaves spreading, narrowly oblong, 15-35 cm. long, obtuse, narrowed at base, spiny, short-petiolate, pinnately parted, the segments rather thick, elliptic, variously lobed, deep green and lustrous above, densely pubescent on nerves beneath, the cauline leaves narrowly oblong, sessile, scarcely clasping at base; heads erect, short-pedunculate, in loose corymbs, usually with few rather large bracteal leaves at base; involucres campanulate, 2.2-25 cm. long, 2.2-2.8 cm. wide; bracts 6-seriate, short spine-tipped, the outer elongate, ovate- lanceolate, obliquely ascending in upper half; corollas purplish to white, 27-28 mm. long. July-Sept Near seashores.