Flora of North America species comparison

several, erect to spreading, thinly arachnoid, soon glabrous;

branches ± fleshy, usually much branched proximally, spreading to ascending.

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

branches several to many, spreading.

blades ± elliptic, 30–75 × 10–20 cm, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes oblong to ovate, unlobed or with several prominent secondary lobes or large teeth, obtuse to acute, main spines 2–7 mm, abaxial gray arachnoid-tomentose, adaxial faces thinly arachnoid, glabrate;

basal often present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, bases clasping with broad, spiny-margined auricles, reduced distally, spinier than proximal;

distal much reduced, spines 7–20 mm.

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.

0–7 cm.

0–7 cm.

ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 1.5–3 × 1.5–5 cm, sparsely to densely arachnoid, finely short-ciliate.

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

dark reddish purple, 17–24 mm, tubes 8–11 mm, throats 3.5–6 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3–4 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 ca. 6 series, dark green or brown or with stramineous margins and a darker central zone, imbricate, linear-lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies appressed, spiny-ciliate, apices long-spreading to ascending long-acuminate, spines straight, stout, 5–15 mm;

apices of inner straight or twisted, long, entire, flat or spine-tipped.

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.

several–many, in congested corymbiform arrays.

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

dark brown, 4–5 mm, apical collars narrow;

pappi 15 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.