I have seen three distinct populations this year:

one with larger heads 4-6 cm across, nearly globose with broader involucre bracts more or less spreading and heads purple to white, the leaves more spiny and not flattened;  

the second similar to first one but less spiny, heads oblong, barely 15-20 mm broad, 3-4 cm long, involucre bracts less spreading, leaves similar but smaller and less spiny;  

third seen mostly in Dachhigam has smaller heads, although more globose in shape like first one, in shape less than 2.5 cm across and with more or less erect involucre bracts, leaves are less spiny and more or less flattened. heads are mostly purple. the latter fits with C. pycnocephalus but heads are solitary, not clustered as typical for this species.  

I am sending all three for your strict scrutiny and sort their identity, particularly whether globular one is edelbergii or ononopordioides (Stewart was unsure whether two are synonyms or not; now treated distinct species. The genus is profusely flowering these days. Perhaps you can scrutinise them further. 

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