Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches few–many, ascending.

single, erect, villous to tomentose with jointed trichomes, distally tomentose with fine, unbranched trichomes;

branches 0–few, ascending, (short).

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 narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 15–30+ × 3–10 cm, margins shallowly to very deeply pinnatifid, narrow lobes separated by broad sinuses, spiny-dentate to lobed, main spines 2–6 mm, abaxial villous to tomentose with jointed trichomes, sometimes also thinly tomentose with fine unbranched trichomes, adaxial faces villous with septate trichomes or glabrate;

basal often present at flowering, petioles spiny-winged, bases tapered;

cauline many, sessile, gradually reduced and becoming widely spaced above, bases long-decurrent with prominently spiny wings;

distal cauline deeply pinnatifid with few-toothed spine-tipped lobes.

0–5 cm (leafy-bracted).

0–1 cm.

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

ovoid to campanulate, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1.3 cm, thinly cobwebby tomentose with fine unbranched trichomes.

tips 4–6 mm.

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

lavender to purple (white), 11–13 mm, tubes 5–7 mm, throats 2–3 mm, lobes 3–4.5 mm;

style tips 1.5–2 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 5–7 series, strongly imbricate, greenish, or with purplish tinge, lanceolate to ovate (outer) or linear-lanceolate (inner), margins thinly arachnoid-ciliate, abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle appressed, entire, apices acute, mucronate or spines erect or spreading, weak, 0.3–1 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries purplish, linear-attenuate, scarious, flat.

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

few–many in dense clusters at branch tips.

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

pappi 12–24 mm.

tan to stramineous, 2.5–3.5 mm, apical collars 0.1–0.2 mm, shiny;

pappi 9–11 mm.

= 18.

= 34.