Genus: Cynara
Genus description:
Perennial herbs; stems erect, striate to ribbed, sometimes absent. Leaves in basal rosette or alternate, usually deeply divided and with spiny segments. Capitula solitary or in a sparingly branched, corymbose cyme. Involucre ovoid to globose; involucral bracts imbricate, glabrous, the outer and middle with a stout spine or an ovate to triangular appendage at the apex.. Receptacle fleshy, the scales setaceous. Florets all hermaphrodite. Corolla puplish, blue or white, tubular, 5-fid; style long-exerted. Achenes obpyramidal or obovoid-cylindrical, glabrous; pappus of many rows of plumose, dirty white hairs connate at the base.
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