It reminds me a bit of melanacantha, in an etiolated form. If you have it in strong light, then perhaps it is a hybrid of that species.

It was outdoors in sun about 2/3 of the day, but having a melanacantha, I do see what you mean. It looks kind of like melanacantha meets ciliaris.
Thanks! I'll leave it a NOID and figure it for a probable hybrid of some sort.

Despite its upright stem I think it is a melanacantha seedling. The name, by the way, means something like "white spine" referring to the spines. And look, they're white! What I think is happening is that it is a seedling that is growing out into maturity. I have seen seedlings do this stretchy thing, even without being given poor light. I bet it will now make a normal dense head, but the short stem keeps the leaves off the soil, preventing rot. I think melanacantha is a winter grower, so give it lots of light now, and keep watering it lightly.

Jon

I have one that looks like that and I too do not have an I.D. Does melanacantha have the same sandpaper feel as crytopoda or that shark skin feel? Because if so, I'm running out and tagging that sucker.

looks a beauty whatever it is!

That's interesting; thanks, Jon! I'll be real pleased if it grows into typical melanacantha form! (My other mel. is the melanacantha erinacea I posted, so it'd be a little different, anyway.) The parentage helps explain the slow growth. ...and the fact that I skimped on water the first few years was probably for the best!
DG-If I could remember where I set this one, I'd go feel it...sheesh, sometimes.... my erinacea has a little of that rough/smooth sharkskin feel, so that's probably it.
Thanks, Larry.