Carduus tenuiflorus Curtis, Fl. Lond. 'Fasc'. 6: Pl. 55. 1790-98; Azad & Javeid in J. Bombay Nat. Rist. Soc. 75(1): 249. 1978.

Herbs, annual or biennial, ca 50 cm high, stems hairy, winged; wings up to ca 1 cm broad, spiny at tip. Leaves oblanceolate-lanceolate, sparsely hairy above, hairy beneath. Heads ca 1.5 cm across, cylindrical, sessile, in compact clusters of 4 - 8. Involucral bracts ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, smooth, with scarious margins. Corolla ca 1 cm long. Achenes ca 4 mm long, smooth. Pappus ca 1 cm long.

Fl. & Fr. July - Sept.

Distrib. India: W. Himalayas. Jammu & Kashmir.

Europe and China.