Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches 0–several, stiffly ascending.

1–several, erect, loosely arachnoid-tomentose, glandular-pilose;

branches several to many, spreading.

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 oblanceolate to oblong or elliptic, 20–70 × 5–16 cm, strongly undulate, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes coarsely toothed or with triangular secondary lobes, main spines 3–15 mm, abaxial faces more densely tomentose, adaxial densely glandular with short, multicellular trichomes and ± tomentose with fine, arachnoid, non-septate trichomes;

basal often present at flowering, petiolate;

principal cauline well distributed, becoming sessile, gradually reduced distally, bases auriculate-decurrent with broad, spiny-margined wings 3 cm or less;

distal cauline leaves progressively reduced, ± bractlike.

0–20 cm.

0–7 cm.

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

(green to purple), hemispheric or campanulate, 1.5–3 × 2–5 cm, glabrous or puberulent.

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.

white to pinkish or lavender, 14.5–22 mm, tubes 5–8 mm, throats 4.5–9 mm, lobes 3–8 mm;

style tips 2.5–4.5 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 6–10 series, imbricate, ovate to lanceolate, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bases appressed, short, bodies entire to erose or ciliolate (rarely outer spine-margined), apices spreading to recurved or reflexed, long, dilated, adaxially puberulent, spines 1–6 mm;

apices of inner erect or reflexed, flattened or tipped with short spines.

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

few–many, ± nodding, in paniculiform or corymbiform arrays, bracts leafy or much reduced.

brown, 6–7 mm, apical collars narrow;

pappi 25–40 mm.

brownish, 3.4–5 mm, apical collars tan;

pappi 12–15 mm.

perennials, 50–220 cm; woody tap-rooted caudices with numerous coarse, fibrous lateral roots, sometimes forming new rosettes from root sprouts.

= 32, 64.