Flora of North America species comparison

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

usually several–many from base, spreading, ± openly branched distally, loosely gray-tomentose.

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.

± loosely gray-tomentose;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, blades oblong, 5–10 cm, margins entire or pinnatifid with terminal segment largest, apices obtuse;

mid and distal cauline sessile, linear-lanceolate to oblong, blades usually not much smaller, entire, mucronate.

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

ovoid to campanulate, 15–20 mm.

many;

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

sterile florets slender, inconspicuous.

25–35;

corollas of sterile florets spreading, dark blue, 25–30 mm, enlarged, those of fertile florets purple, ca. 15 mm.

bodies green, ovate (outer) to oblong (inner), glabrous, margins and erect appendages silvery white to brown, scarious, fringed with slender teeth 1.5–2 mm.

appendages scarious, obtuse or abruptly spine tipped.

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

radiant, borne singly, pedunculate.

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.

brown, 4.5–6 mm, puberulent near attachment scar, otherwise glabrous;

pappi of outer series of unequal stiff bristles 2–8 mm, inner series of slender scales ca. 1.5 mm.

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

= 16.

= 16 (Armenia).