Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches few–many, ascending.

1–several, erect, (hollow), openly branched distally or throughout, thinly arachnoid with fine, non-septate trichomes, glabrate.

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 elliptic to broadly oblanceolate, 10–40+ cm, pinnatifid 1/2–2/3 distance to midveins, larger usually with broad sinuses, lobes broad, few lobed or dentate, main spines 2–9 mm, abaxial faces ± gray-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate, adaxial thinly arachnoid-tomentose, soon glabrescent;

basal present or withered at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, progressively reduced distally, bases auriculate-clasping or shortly decurrent;

distal cauline reduced, bractlike, often spinier than proximal.

0–5 cm (leafy-bracted).

0–10+ cm.

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

ovoid to campanulate, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–3 cm, thinly arachnoid, glabrate.

tips 4–6 mm.

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

pale rose-purple, 18–23 mm, tubes 8–10 mm, throats 5–6 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3.5–4.5 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 6–9 series, imbricate, dark green to brownish, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, apices spreading, finely serrulate, spines slender, 1–2 mm;

apices of inner erect, ± flexuous.

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

borne singly or few at branch tips, sometimes subtended by clustered, ± leafy bracts, collectively forming ± open, many-headed paniculiform arrays.

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

pappi 12–24 mm.

dark brown to black, 4–5 mm, collars very narrow, stramineous;

pappi ca. 15 mm.

= 18.

= 32.