Carduncellus caeruleus (L.) C.Presl. / Homotypic Synonyms: Carthamus caeruleus L, Syn. Carduncellus caeruleus ssp. caeruleus, it is a perennial, up to 10 (-40) (-60) cm, with simple, unbranched, monocephalic, lanate-arachnoid to glabrescent stems. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, shiny, simple, toothed with teeth apex spiny; spines whitish. Capitula c. 3 cm in diam. medium sized, with blue florets. Supplementary involucral bracts longer than the capitula, similar to the upper cauline leaves. Outer involucral bracts ovate, acute with spiny margins, glandular, arachnoid hairy on the back. Inner involucral bracts lanceolate to linear, acute. Cypsela 6 mm long, obpyramidal, inconspicuously angled; pappus scales ciliate, whitish, 1-1̸2 times as long as the cypsela.
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