Shrubs, 30-50(-120+) cm. Stems erect. Leaves mostly alternate; petioles 0-2 mm; blades (green) elliptic to ovate, 25-60+ × 12-35+ mm, bases rounded to truncate, margins spiny-toothed, abaxial and adaxial faces ± hirtellous (on veins) and stipitate-glandular. Pistillate heads clustered, proximal to staminates; florets 2. Staminate heads: peduncles 2-8(-12) mm; involucres ± saucer-shaped, 9-15+ mm diam., ± hirtellous and stipitate-glandular; florets 20-40+. Burs: bodies ± globose, 6-8 mm, stipitate-glandular, spines 40-50+, scattered, subulate, 4-6 mm, tips straight or ± uncinate. 2n = 36. Flowering Jan-Apr. Sandy washes, benches; 30-500 m; Ariz., Calif.; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora).

Plant: Shrub < ± 1 m, matted; stems greenish when young, densely glandular and stiffly short-hairy; older bark gray-white Leaves: 2-10 cm, ovate to round, leathery, brittle, dark gray-green, sticky, veiny below; teeth long, spine-tipped; sessile, ± clasping INFLORESCENCE: flower-like heads; staminate heads 10-15 mm diam, involucre lobes 10-15, lanceolate, spine-tipped; phyllaries fused into shallow cup; pistillate heads generally 2-flowered; receptacle chaffy; chaff scales spirally arrayed, fused below, tips generally becoming spiny Flowers: Staminate flowers ± many; corolla yellow or translucent; anthers free; style unbranched; Pistillate flowers 1-5; corolla 0; style branches long Fruit: Fruit: enclosed in a bur < 20 mm, spheric, ± brown, sticky; spines 20-70, scattered, < 6 mm, ± cylindric, strongly hooked Misc: Sandy washes, rocky canyons, creosote-bush scrub; < 500 m.; Feb-Apr