Rhaponticum acaule (L.) DC. / Homotypic Synonyms: Leuzea acaulis (L.) Holub, it is an acaulescent, rosulate. monocephalic perennial herb. Leaves coriaceous. green hairy above and white arachnoid tomentose underneath. First few Leaves sometimes entire, sinuate, rest bipinnatipartite, oblong-oblanceolate in outline, up to 25 cm long, long petiolate. Capitula up to 10 cm in diam., sessile in the middle of the rosetted leaves, odorent, with yellow florets, sometimes purplish towards the tips; in fruiting purplish due to long exsertcd pappus setae. Involucral bracts 4 (-5) rowed, coriaceous, linear-ovate, up to 40 mm long (include, appendage), narrowly white, scarious margined, glabrous; appendages lanceolate, acute, with margins white, lacerated. Corolla deeply 5-lobed; lobes towards the apex inflatted-lanceolate; anther lobes purplish; filaments hairy below the anther lobes. Cypsela 10 x 6 mm, obpyramidal, angular, ribbed, glabrous; pappus 25-30 mm long, deep brown to violaceous. Setae barbellate, connate at the base.
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