Flora of North America species comparison

1–several, erect or ascending, densely gray-tomentose;

branches few–many, ascending to spreading.

1–several, spreading to erect, (usually very leafy in distal 1/2), loosely arachnoid, and villous with jointed, multicellular trichomes;

branches 0–few from above middle, ascending.

blades oblong-elliptic to obovate, 10–60 × 2–15 cm, unlobed or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes lanceolate to ovate-triangular, ascending to spreading, entire to coarsely dentate or lobed, main spines slender to stout, 2–30 mm, faces densely gray-tomentose, rarely glabrate;

basal present at flowering, petiolate;

principal cauline well distributed, proximal winged-petiolate, distal sessile, bases auriculate-clasping or decurrent as a spiny wing 1–3 cm;

distalmost well separated, bractlike.

linear to oblong or oblanceolate, 6–16 × 1–3.5 cm, unlobed to sinuate-dentate or shallowly pinnatifid, main spines 1–4 mm, fine, faces ± green, shaggy-villous with septate trichomes, abaxial loosely arachnoid when young;

basal and proximal cauline usually absent at time of flowering;

mid and distal nearly uniform in size or gradually reduced, bases clasping;

distalmost cauline ± bractlike.

0–4(–8) cm.

0–2 cm.

ovoid to hemispheric, 1.5–3 cm, 2–4.5 cm diam, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

ovoid or cylindric to campanulate, 2–4 × 1.5–4 cm, loosely arachnoid, ± glabrate.

rose-purple (white or pinkish-tinged), 18–21 mm, tubes 8–9 mm, throats 5–6 mm (abruptly expanded), lobes 5–6 mm;

style tips 3–4.5 mm.

light purple, 33–40 mm, tubes 14–15 mm, throats 12–15 mm, lobes 7–9 mm;

style tips 4.5–6 mm.

in 6–8 series, imbricate, often with dark purple patch near tip, ovate-lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with linear to elliptic glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, entire, spines spreading, 1–9 mm;

apices of inner often purple-tinged, often flexuous, flattened, spineless, scabrid.

in 6–9 series, imbricate, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with glutinous ridge, outer and middle tightly appressed, bodies scabrous or spinulose, spines erect or weakly ascending, 1–4 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries long-acuminate, spineless.

10–many, often crowded at branch tips, collectively forming paniculiform arrays.

1–5, in corymbiform arrays.

dark brown to black, 5–6 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 15–20 mm.

light brown, 3.5–4 mm, apical collars yellowish, ca. 0.8 mm;

pappi 15–30 mm.

= 30.