Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, erect, ± openly branched distally, loosely tomentose.

1–several, much-branched throughout, puberulent and ± gray tomentose.

± loosely gray-tomentose;

basal leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 3–10 cm, margins entire or with remote linear lobes, apices acute;

cauline linear, usually not much smaller except among heads, usually entire.

hispidulous and ± short-tomentose;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, often absent at anthesis, blades 10–20 cm, margins bipinnately dissected into narrow lobes;

mid cauline sessile, bipinnately dissected;

distal much smaller, entire or pinnately lobed.

campanulate, 12–16 mm.

narrowly ovoid or cylindric, 10–13 × 3–5 mm.

25–35;

corollas blue (white to purple), those of sterile florets raylike, enlarged, 20–25 mm, those of fertile florets 10–15 mm.

25–35;

corollas cream white (rarely pink or pale purple), those of sterile florets 12–13 mm, slender, inconspicuous, those of fertile florets 12–13 mm.

bodies green, ovate (outer) to oblong (inner), tomentose or becoming glabrous, margins and erect appendages white to dark brown or black, scarious, fringed with slender teeth ± 1 mm.

lanceolate, ± acute, appendage lacerate or spine-tipped.

radiant, in open, rounded or ± flat-topped cymiform arrays, pedunculate.

disciform, in open paniculiform arrays.

stramineous or pale blue, 4–5 mm, finely hairy;

pappi of many unequal stiff bristles, 2–4 mm.

dark brown, ca. 2–3 mm;

pappi 0 or less than 0.5 mm, only rudimentary.

phyllaries: bodies pale green, ovate to lanceolate, glabrous or finely tomentose, with a few prominent parallel veins, margins and erect appendages fringed with slender stramineous spines, each phyllary tipped by spine 1–3 mm.

= 24 (Russia).

= 18, 36.