Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, erect, stout, (hollow, 2–10 cm diam. at base), openly branched distally, thinly arachnoid, villous with jointed trichomes, at least proximally.

single, erect, villous with septate trichomes or glabrate, distally sometimes thinly tomentose;

branches few–many, ascending.

blades elliptic to broadly oblanceolate, 15–70 × 30–150+ cm, flat, pinnatifid 1/2–2/3 distance to midvein, larger usually with broad sinuses, lobes broad, few lobed or dentate, main spines 3–8 mm, abaxial faces gray-tomentose, adaxial thinly arachnoid-tomentose, sometimes midveins with jointed trichomes;

basal present or withered at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, progressively reduced distally, bases clasping or short-decurrent 1–2 cm;

distal cauline reduced, becoming bractlike, sometimes spinier than proximal.

ovate to broadly elliptic or obovate, 15–55 × 4–20 cm, deeply pinnatifid, to 7/8 to midribs, lobes linear to lanceolate, acute to acuminate, irregularly few toothed or lobed, main spines 2–3 mm, abaxial faces thinly tomentose or glabrate, villous with septate trichomes on the veins, adaxial faces thinly pilose;

basal usually absent at flowering, petioles spiny-winged, bases tapered;

principal cauline petiolate or sessile, gradually reduced distally, bases sometimes ± clasping, not decurrent;

distal cauline bractlike with narrowly linear lobes, often spinier than the proximal.

0–15 cm.

0–15 cm (sometimes overtopped by distal cauline leaves, not subtended by involucre-like ring of bracts).

ovoid to campanulate, 1.5–3 × 1.5–3 cm, ± glabrous.

ovoid to broadly cylindric or campanulate, 1.7–3 × 1–3 cm, arachnoid.

pale rose-purple (white), 19–26 mm, tubes 9–12 mm, throats 4–6 mm, lobes 5–9 mm;

style tips 3.5–4.5 mm.

lavender or purple (white), 16–32 mm, tubes 7–15 mm, throats 4.5–10 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 4–8 mm;

style tips 3.5–5 mm.

in 5–7 series, weakly unequal, dark green to brownish, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces without (or with very obscure) glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed or apices spreading, at least outer irregularly spiny-fringed, finely serrulate, spines slender, 3–5 mm;

apices of inner erect, abaxial faces gray-tomentose, ± twisted.

in 8–12 series, strongly imbricate, dull green with darker subapical patch, ovate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle appressed, bodies minutely spinulose, apices obtuse to acute, spines erect (sometimes appearing as spreading in dry specimens), 0–0.5 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries straight or ± flexuous, flattened.

1–several at branch tips, closely subtended by clustered leafy bracts or not, collectively forming open, corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

1–many in ± open corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

dark brown, 5–5.5 mm, collars narrow, ± stramineous;

pappi 15–20 mm.

dark brown, 4.5–5.5 mm, apical collars yellow, 0.3 mm;

pappi 12–20 mm.

= 32.

= 20, 21, 22, 23, 30.