Flora of North America species comparison

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

1–few, few–many branched distally.

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.

basal and proximal cauline petiolate or tapering to base, usually absent at anthesis, blades oblong to oblanceolate, 2–15 cm, margins entire to dentate or pinnately lobed;

cauline long-decurrent, blades linear to oblong or oblanceolate, 1–5 cm, entire or dentate.

ovoid, 15–20 × 6–8 mm.

ovoid, 10–15 mm, loosely cobwebby-tomentose or becoming glabrous.

25–40;

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

sterile corollas slender.

many;

corollas yellow, those of sterile florets 10–12 mm, slender, inconspicuous, those of fertile florets 10–12 mm.

appendages truncate, spineless.

appendages entire, acute or spine-tipped.

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

disciform, 1–few at branch tips, borne singly or in open leafy corymbiform arrays, sometimes clustered in distal axils, sessile or pedunculate.

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

pappi 0.

dull white or light brown, ca. 2.5 mm, finely hairy;

pappi of many white, unequal, stiff bristles 2.5–3 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 ± stramineous, ovate, appendages purplish, spiny-fringed at base, each tipped by slender spine 5–10 mm.

= 20.

= 24.