Introduced, annual or biennial herb. It forms a rosette when young before sending up stems to 1.5 m tall. Leaves are dark green and warty, leaf edges lobed and spiny. Flowerheads are branched, with solitary (or clusters of) purple heads at the end of main branches; each head is bell-shaped, to 5 cm wide and surrounded by spiny bracts. Florets are tubular. Flowering is in late winter to summer. A native of Europe, North Africa and Asia, it is a common weed in disturbed, moister and more fertile areas of pastures and wastelands. Wind blown seeds are viable for up to 10 years and can travel large distances. Reduces the forage potential of pastures and the spines render it unpalatable to livestock and can cause eye injuries. Managed using a number of methods, but it is most important to use pasture management to avoid bare areas. Herbicides may be needed in the first year to reduce populations; they are most effective at the seedling