UW Burke Herbarium species comparison

Basal leaves tapering to winged petioles, blades 10–25 cm, margins pinnately 2 to 5 lobed, abaxial faces ± tomentose, adaxial faces tomentose and pilose, often glabrate;

cauline leaves sessile, shorter, margins less divided than basal, distally reduced to bracts.

Leaves deeply lobed to pinnatifid, up to 25 cm. long and 8 cm. wide, the midrib beneath covered with long, soft hairs.

Heads borne singly or clustered in tight groups of 2-5, heads at ends of branches and sometimes in upper axils, sessile or short-pedunculate, 20–25 mm;

peduncles winged throughout or unwinged, 0–2 cm long, tomentose;

involucres cylindric to ellipsoid, 17–22 mm diameter;

phyllaries linear to lanceolate, with appressed loosely tomentose bases, 2–3 mm wide and ascending, linear appendages 0.5–1.5 mm wide, not scarious, distally scabrous on midribs and margins, spine tips 1–3 mm, inner straight and erect, with unarmed or minutely armed tips;

Corollas purple, dark purple, or pink, 14–16 mm long tube;

lobes 3 times longer than throat.

Heads clustered or solitary at the ends of the branches, erect, the disk mostly 1.5-2.5 cm. wide;

involucre bracts narrow, under 2 mm. wide, erect, the middle and outer bracts spine-tipped, the inner softer and scarcely spiny;

flowers purple;

pappus capillary, not plumose.

Cypselae ellipsoid, golden to brown, 4–6 mm, finely 20-nerved;

pappus bristles 15–20 mm.

Achenes glabrous.