Flora of North America species comparison

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

simple or often branched from base, forming rounded bushy plants, gray-tomentose.

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.

gray-tomentose and scabrous to short-bristly;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate or tapered to base, usually absent at anthesis, blades 5–15 cm, margins pinnately lobed or dissected;

cauline long-decurrent, blades linear to oblong, 1–10 cm, entire.

ovoid, 15–20 × 6–8 mm.

ovoid, 13–17 mm, loosely cobwebby-tomentose or becoming glabrous.

25–40;

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

sterile corollas slender.

many;

corollas yellow, all ± equal, 13–20 mm;

sterile florets slender, inconspicuous.

appendages truncate, spineless.

appendages scarious, obtuse or abruptly spine tipped.

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

disciform, borne singly or in open leafy arrays, long-pedunculate.

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

pappi 0.

dimorphic, 2–3 mm, glabrous, outer dark brown, without pappi, inner white or light brown, mottled;

pappi of many white, unequal bristles 2–4 mm, fine.

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 pale green, ovate, appendages stramineous to brown, each with palmately radiating cluster of spines, and stout central spine 10–25 mm.

= 20.

= 16.