Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches few–many, ascending.

1, erect, thinly arachnoid and/or puberulent to short-pilose, sometimes ± glabrate;

branches 0–4, 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 oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 20–30 × 3–8 cm, spinulose and otherwise entire or coarsely dentate to deeply pinnatifid, lobes entire or coarsely few toothed or lobed, main spines slender, 3–6 mm, abaxial ± persistently gray-tomentose, sometimes pilose along veins, adaxial faces thinly arachnoid and ± glabrate;

basal often present at flowering, sessile or narrowly winged-petiolate;

principal cauline gradually winged-petiolate or sessile, reduced distally, bases sometimes clasping or short-decurrent;

distal cauline ascending, becoming bractlike, narrow, lobed or not.

0–5 cm (leafy-bracted).

10–30 cm.

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

hemispheric, 2–3 × 2–4 cm, thinly arachnoid or glabrous.

tips 4–6 mm.

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

deep purple, 22–30 mm, tubes 13–18 mm, throats 4–5 mm, lobes 5–8 mm;

style tips 4–4.5 mm.

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.

in ca. 8 series, imbricate, proximally brownish, distally dark purplish, lanceolate to linear, margins of outer hispidulous-ciliolate, spiny fringed, pinnately spiny or with scarious appendages, abaxial faces with prominent, glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed or only apices spreading, bodies minutely spinulose-denticulate, spines erect to ascending, 1.5–2.5 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries often flexuous, flat, scabridulous.

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

1–5.

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

pappi 12–24 mm.

tan with dark speckles to dark purplish brown, 4–5.5 mm, apical collars not differently colored;

pappi 13–18 mm.

= 18.

= 32 (Mexico).