A very prickly diffuse, perennial herb. Leaves ovate or elliptic, pinnatifid, stellatelyhairy on both sides, armed on the midrib and often on the nerves with long yellowsharp prickles. Flowers light- to deep- purple or gentian violet, in extra-axillary fewflowered cymes. Corolla purple; lobes deltoid, acute, hairy outside. Berries spherical,yellow or orange when ripe. Seeds subspherical, compressed, yellowish-brown,glabrous, minutely rugose. (India)