The stem is erect in young plants, but becomes creeping or trailing
with age. It can hang very low and become floppy. The stem is slender,
branching, and sparsely to densely prickly, growing to a length of 1.5 m
(5 ft).
The leaves are bipinnately compound, with one or two pinnae pairs, and 10–26 leaflets per pinna. The petioles are also prickly. Pedunculate (stalked) pale pink or purple flower heads
arise from the leaf axils in mid summer with more and more flowers as
the plant gets older. The globose to ovoid heads are 8–10 mm in diameter
(excluding the stamens). On close examination, it is seen that the
floret petals are red in their upper part and the filaments are pink to
lavender. The fruit
consists of clusters of 2–8 pods from 1–2 cm long each, these being
prickly on the margins. The pods break into 2–5 segments and contain
pale brown seeds some 2.5 mm long. The flowers are pollinated by the
wind and insects.[7] The seeds have hard seed coats which restrict germination
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