Cirsium costae, (Sennen & Pau) Petrak

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 : 236

13. C. costae (Sennen & Pau) Petrak , Biblioth. Bot. (Stuttgart) 78: 41 (1912).

Biennial 20-80 cm. Leaves broadly auriculatesemiamplexicaul, very shortly setose above, sparsely arachnoidlanate to -tomentose beneath; lobes narrowly triangular to linear-triangular, with rather stout apical spine 3—12 mm. Capitula in a sparingly branched raceme, with 3-10 squarrose-spiny subtending leaves shorter to slightly longer than capitulum. Involucre 35-45 x (35-)40-50 mm, glabrous or sparsely arachnoid-hairy, rarely sparsely arachnoid-lanate; middle bracts slightly widened to the spinulose-denticulate apex, with apical spine 2-4 mm. Corolla 34-38 mm, purple. Achenes 5-6 mm; pappus 21-30 mm. • N.E. Spain. Hs.