Plant
- Herbaceous perennial where hardy, some grown as annuals
- 4-5' tall
- Thistle-like
Stem
- Alternate leaf arrangement
Leaf
- 1½-2½' long
- Deeply lobed and toothed
Flower
- Thick, fleshy bracts beneath the flower cluster
- Large, purple head when buds allowed to open
Flower Bud
- 3-6" long
- Thick, fleshy bracts enclose unopened flower cluster
- Edible, fleshy base of the bracts and center of receptacle
