Spanish Needles is an erect annual herb, up to 1 m. Closely related to B. pilosa, but can be distinguished by the leaves, which are usually 5-7 foliolate, with the lowermost pair redivided into two to three segments. The outer involucral bracts resemble those of B. bipinnata. The achenes are up to 16 mm long, almost glabrous. The flowers are yellow, including the ray-florets. Spanish Needles is a widespread weed of disturbed and cultivated areas.
Medicinal uses: Used to treat eye and ear affections (leaf juice); applied to skin affections in general, as a haemostatic on wounds, and wrapped around the umbilical cord of babies (rubbed leaves).