Flora of North America species comparison

1–many, erect, glabrous to appressed gray-tomentose;

branches 0–many, ascending.

1, erect, (dark maroon), glabrous;

branches several to many, stiffly ascending, distally nodding.

blades oblong to elliptic, 3–30 × 1–6 cm, margins plane to revolute, entire and spinulose, dentate, or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes well separated, lance-oblong to triangular-ovate, spinulose to few-toothed or few-lobed near base, main spines 1–7 mm, abaxial faces glabrous to densely gray-tomentose, adaxial green, glabrous to thinly tomentose;

basal absent at flowering, petioles narrowly winged, bases tapered;

principal larger cauline proximally winged-petiolate, distally sessile, well distributed, gradually reduced, not decurrent;

distal cauline becoming bractlike, entire, toothed, or lobed, spinulose or not.

blades elliptic, 10–50 × 5–20 cm, 1–2 times pinnately lobed or divided, lobes lanceolate to ovate, main spines slender to stout, 3–10 mm, faces glossy green, glabrous;

basal present at flowering, petiolate or winged-petiolate, divided nearly to midveins;

proximal cauline winged-petiolate;

mid and distal sessile, progressively reduced, less deeply lobed, bases auriculate-clasping;

distalmost linear or lanceolate, bractlike, very spiny.

0.2–7 cm.

0.5–15+ cm.

ovoid in flower, ± campanulate in fruit, 1–2 × 1–2 cm, arachnoid tomentose, ± glabrate.

(excluding spreading tips) broadly ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 2–3 × 2–3 cm, glabrous.

purple (white or pink); staminate 12–18 mm, (remaining longer than pappus when head is fully mature), tubes 8–11 mm, throats 1–1.5 mm, lobes 3–5 mm; pistillate 14–20 mm, (overtopped by pappi in fruit), tubes 10–15 mm, throats ca. 1 mm, lobes 2–3 mm;

style tips 1–2 mm.

rich rose-purple, 20–26 mm, tubes 4–5 mm, throats 7–10 mm, lobes 10–11 mm;

style tips 2–2.5 mm.

in 6–8 series, strongly imbricate, (usually purple-tinged), ovate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle appressed, entire, apices ascending to spreading, spines 0–1 mm (fine);

apices of inner phyllaries flat, ± flexuous, margins entire to minutely erose or ciliolate.

in 8–10 series, strongly imbricate, (dark maroon, drying dark brown or blackish), ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with poorly developed glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bases appressed, margins entire, apices spreading to reflexed, elongate, ovate to lanceolate, 5–20 mm, flattened, ciliolate, adaxially minutely villous with septate trichomes, spines slender, 1–3 mm;

apices of inner flexuous, entire.

1–many, borne singly or in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays at tips of main stem and branches.

many, nodding, borne 1–few at branch tips, collectively forming open, paniculiform arrays.

brown, 2–4 mm, apical collar not differentiated;

pappi 13–32 mm, exceeding corollas.

brown, ca. 5 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi (brown), 18–20 mm.

= 34.