Flora of North America species comparison

1–several, often forming rounded mounds, puberulent to loosely tomentose.

simple proximally, openly branched distally, glabrous or thinly hairy.

puberulent to loosely gray-tomentose, becoming ± glabrous, minutely resin-gland-dotted;

proximal leaves petiolate, blades 10–20 cm, 1–3 times pinnately dissected, rosette with central cluster of spines;

mid sessile, not decurrent, blades ovate, usually less than 10 cm, narrowly lobed;

distal blades linear to oblong, entire to shallowly lobed.

thinly pubescent, basal and proximal cauline petiolate, blades 10–15 cm, margins coarsely pinnately lobed;

mid cauline sessile or short-petiolate, short-decurrent, blades obovate or narrowly oblong, 2–8 cm, entire to pinnately lobed;

distal cauline oblong, entire to irregularly lobed.

ovoid, 15–20 × 6–8 mm.

ovoid, 8–15 mm diam.

25–40;

corollas purple, all ± equal, 15–24 mm;

sterile corollas slender.

many;

corollas pink-purple, those of sterile florets 25–30 mm, enlarged, raylike, those of fertile florets ± 20 mm.

appendages truncate, spineless.

disciform, borne singly or in leafy cymiform arrays, sessile or short-pedunculate.

radiant, in open cymiform arrays, pedunculate.

white or brown-streaked, 2.5–3.4 mm, glabrous;

pappi 0.

tan, 3–3.5 mm;

pappi many, white, unequal bristles 3–5 mm.

phyllaries: bodies greenish or stramineous, ovate, scarious-margined, appendages stramineous, spiny fringed at base, each tipped by a stout spreading spine 10–25 mm.

phyllaries: bodies greenish, ovate, scarious-margined, appendages stramineous to brown, scarious, fringed with slender teeth, tipped by slender spines 1–5 mm.

phyllaries unarmed with brown, expanded, lacerate appendages.

= 20.

= 20.