[5] Chamaeleon gummifer is a perennial thistle with a long rhizome extending up to 40 cm and spiky leaves emanating from its center.

The ripe fruit of the plant may ooze a white or yellowish gummy latex produced by the rhizome.

[4] Chamaeleon gummifer can be found along the Mediterranean basin, including Northern Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Greece and Malta.

[1][4] It grows in various habitats and on various substrates, including in cultivated- or uncultivated fields, shrublands, forests and in rocklands.

[5] In Morocco, Chamaeleon gummifer is a common cause of plant poisoning, with children being especially vulnerable to severe effects.