Carduncellus araneosus, Boiss. & Reuter

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 : 304

5. C. araneosus Boiss. & Reuter , Diagn. Pl. Nov. Hisp. 18 (1842).

Stem (10—)15—30(—45) cm, simple or somewhat branched, greyish-white subtomentose to arachnoid-hairy. Basal and lower cauline leaves (lyrate-)pinnate; segments in 6-9 pairs, lanceolate, spinose-dentate; upper cauline leaves pinnatifid to dentate, ovatelanceolate, with more or less lanate-arachnoid indumentum, with spiny margin and apex, the spines 3-4 mm. Involucral bracts subtomentose to arachnoid-hairy; outer bracts patent, distinctly leaf-like, spinose-dentate, as long as or longer than the inner, the spines or spiny lobes 5-8 mm, yellowish. Achenes 4-7 mm, smooth, with inconspicuous angles; pappus-setae more or less plumose, white, rarely reddish, 2(-4) times as long as the achene. • C., E. & S. Spain. Hs.

The size of the plant, capitula, achenes and pappus have been used for delimiting subspecies but they show considerable variation and no satisfactory subdivision of the species is possible at present.