Flora of North America species comparison

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

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

1–several, erect, (hollow), openly branched distally or throughout, thinly arachnoid with fine, non-septate trichomes, glabrate.

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.

blades elliptic to broadly oblanceolate, 10–40+ cm, pinnatifid 1/2–2/3 distance to midveins, larger usually with broad sinuses, lobes broad, few lobed or dentate, main spines 2–9 mm, abaxial faces ± gray-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate, adaxial thinly arachnoid-tomentose, soon glabrescent;

basal present or withered at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, progressively reduced distally, bases auriculate-clasping or shortly decurrent;

distal cauline reduced, bractlike, often spinier than proximal.

0–10 cm.

0–10+ cm.

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.

ovoid to campanulate, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–3 cm, thinly arachnoid, glabrate.

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.

pale rose-purple, 18–23 mm, tubes 8–10 mm, throats 5–6 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3.5–4.5 mm.

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.

in 6–9 series, imbricate, dark green to brownish, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, apices spreading, finely serrulate, spines slender, 1–2 mm;

apices of inner erect, ± flexuous.

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

borne singly or few at branch tips, sometimes subtended by clustered, ± leafy bracts, collectively forming ± open, many-headed paniculiform arrays.

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

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

dark brown to black, 4–5 mm, collars very narrow, stramineous;

pappi ca. 15 mm.

= 34, 36.

= 32.