Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, erect, subglabrous to puberulent and/or tomentose;

branches 0–several, stiffly ascending.

usually 1, erect, ± densely gray-tomentose with fine, non-septate trichomes;

branches 0 or few, usually above middle in distal 1/2, ascending.

blades ± elliptic, 8–35 × 4–8 cm, divided about halfway to midveins, lobes spreading, triangular, coarsely dentate or with a few broad lobes, obtuse to acute, main spines 1–5 mm, abaxial faces green or gray, thinly tomentose, adaxial green and glabrous to sparingly pilose;

basal often present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate;

main cauline reduced distally, bases clasping;

distal much reduced, linear-oblong, usually less deeply lobed and often spinier than proximal.

blades oblong to elliptic or obovate, 10–25(–40) × 2–6(–12) cm, coarsely dentate or shallowly lobed to deeply pinnatifid, lobes well separated, triangular to linear or oblong, often revolute-margined, ascending to spreading, spinulose to spinose-dentate, main spines 2–3(–10) mm, faces gray-tomentose, more densely abaxially, sometimes glabrate adaxially;

basal usually present at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline progressively reduced distally, bases decurrent as spiny wings 1–5 cm, sometimes with expanded auricles;

distal cauline usually much reduced, less lobed.

0–20 cm.

0–10 cm.

broadly cylindric to narrowly campanulate, 3–5 × 2–4 cm, loosely arachnoid or ± glabrous, finely short-ciliate.

hemispheric to broadly campanulate, usually truncate or indented at base, 3–4 × 2.5–4 cm in first-formed heads, often smaller (1.5–2 cm) in later ones, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

red to reddish purple, 30–45 mm, tubes 10–20 mm, throats 10–16 mm, lobes 9–11 mm;

style tips 3.5–5 mm.

dull white or lavender-tinged, 20–35 mm, tubes 10–17 mm, throats 6–11 mm, lobes 4–9 mm;

style tips 5–8 mm.

in 6–8 series, imbricate, outer green, inner purple to red, linear-lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies short, appressed, entire or spinulose-ciliate, apices long-spreading to ascending, entire or spinulose-ciliate or rarely with expanded, fringed appendages, spines straight, weak, 1–3 mm;

apices of inner red to purple, straight or rarely twisted, long, flat, entire.

in 6–9 series, imbricate, ovate-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

bodies of outer and middle appressed, acute, spines ascending to spreading, 2–4(–8) mm;

apices of inner expanded and flat, often twisted, scabrid-margined, and erose, spineless.

1–6, borne singly or in corymbiform, racemiform, or spiciform arrays.

1–10+, terminal on branches or in distal axils, in openly corymbiform to racemiform arrays.

brown, 6–7 mm, apical collars narrow;

pappi 25–40 mm.

light brown, 5–7 mm, sometimes with darker streaks, apical collar very narrow, lighter colored;

pappi 18–30 mm, usually noticeably shorter than corolla.

= 32, 64.

= 34, 36.