Flora of North America species comparison

single, erect, villous with septate trichomes, sometimes ± glabrate, sometimes distally thinly tomentose;

branches few–many, ascending.

usually 1, erect, simple or branched in distal 1/2, loosely to densely villous or viscid-pilose with jointed trichomes, often arachnoid below heads;

branches 0–many, ascending.

blades oblanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 10–40 × 1–13 cm, margins flat, finely spiny-toothed and otherwise undivided to coarsely toothed or shallowly pinnatifid, lobes broadly triangular, main spines 1–5 mm, abaxial faces white-tomentose, adaxial faces green, glabrate to villous with septate trichomes;

basal usually absent at flowering, winged-petiolate, bases tapered;

principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced, bases narrowed, sometimes weakly clasping;

distal cauline well developed.

blades oblong to elliptic or oblanceolate, 15–35 × 2–10 cm, flat to ± undulate, coarsely dentate to shallowly pinnatifid, lobes broadly triangular, spinulose to spiny-dentate or shallowly lobed, main spines slender, 3–7 mm, abaxial faces thinly gray-tomentose, villous along major veins, sometimes glabrescent, adaxial sparsely villous or viscid-pilose along midveins with jointed trichomes;

basal often absent at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate;

principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced, proximal winged-petiolate, mid and distal sessile, bases clasping or short-decurrent;

distal moderately to strongly reduced, often spinier than the proximal.

0–5 cm (leafy-bracted).

0–1(–30) cm.

ovoid to broadly cylindric or campanulate, (2–)2.5–3.5(–4) × (1.5–)2–3(–4) cm, thinly arachnoid.

hemispheric to campanulate, 2.5–3.5 cm, 2.5–4 cm diam., loosely to densely arachnoid, phyllaries connected by long septate or non-septate trichomes.

tips 4–6 mm.

pink to purple (white), 20–35 mm, tubes 10–16 mm, throats 5–12 mm, lobes 5–9 mm.

white to pink or purple, very slender, 20–25 mm, tubes 10–17 mm, throats 4–5 mm, lobes filiform with knoblike tips, 3–5 mm;

style tips 2–4 mm, included or exserted (only 1–2 mm beyond corolla lobes).

in 10–20 series, strongly imbricate, greenish with subapical darker central zone, ovate (outer) to lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with a narrow glutinous ridge (milky when fresh, dark when dry), outer and middle entire, bodies appressed, spines slender, abruptly spreading, 3–4 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries spreading, narrow, flattened, entire, spines spreading, slender, 3–4 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries spreading, narrow, flattened, ± dilated, ± erose or finely serrulate.

radiating in 5–10 series, subequal, green, linear-acicular, outermost margins sometimes spiny-fringed, otherwise all entire or minutely serrulate, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bases short-appressed, apices stiffly radiating to ascending, long, very narrow, spines straight, slender, 3–5 m;

apices of inner straight, flat.

1–many, in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays, (± elevated above principal cauline leaves), not subtended by ring of spiny bracts.

1–many, ± erect, usually crowded in subcapitate to tight corymbiform arrays, closely subtended by clustered ± leafy bracts.

tan to dark brown, 4–5.5 mm, apical collars stramineous, 0.5–1 mm;

pappi 12–24 mm.

brown, 3–4.5 mm, apical collars stramineous, 0.2 mm;

pappi 10–22 mm.

= 18.

= 34.