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, thinly gray-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate;

branches few–many, usually from above middle, 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–elliptic to oblanceolate, 6–35 × 1.5–7 cm, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes usually rigidly spreading, undivided or with 1–2 pairs of coarse teeth or lobes, main spines 5–15 mm, faces gray-tomentose, sometimes glabrate;

basal often present at flowering, winged-petiolate or sessile, bases tapered, spiny-winged;

principal cauline sessile, much reduced distally, bases decurrent as spiny wings less than 5 cm;

distal much reduced, ± bractlike, sometimes scarcely more than a cluster of long spines.

0–5 cm (leafy-bracted).

(2.5–)5–30 cm, bracted.

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

shallowly hemispheric or campanulate, 2–3 × 2.5–5 cm, arachnoid to ± loosely tomentose, sometimes glabrous.

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 pale lavender or pink, 18–27 mm, tubes 8–14 mm, throats 4–7 mm, lobes 5–9 mm;

style tips 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 7–10 series, imbricate to subequal, linear to narrowly lanceolate, abaxial faces with narrow or no glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies appressed, entire or minutely spinulose, apices deflexed to spreading or ascending, long, flat, spines spreading to reflexed, 4–15 mm;

apices of inner erect, often flexuous, flat.

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

1–6 (many on large individuals), borne singly or in corymbiform arrays.

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

pappi 12–24 mm.

dark brown, 5–6 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 15–20 mm.

= 18.

= 30 (as C. utahense), 32; 30 + 1 I.