Flora of North America species comparison

single, erect, often branched above middle, thinly arachnoid-tomentose, ± glabrate;

branches few, ascending.

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

blades elliptic or ovate, 5–20 × 1–10 cm, usually deeply pinnatifid, lobes narrowly to broadly triangular, sinuses broad, rounded (basal and distal cauline sometimes less divided, lobes linear-lanceolate), margins revolute, spreading, entire or spinulose to remotely few-toothed or sharply lobed, main spines slender, 1–5 mm, abaxial faces white-tomentose, adaxial green, villous with septate trichomes or glabrate;

basal usually absent at flowering, winged-petiolate, bases tapered;

principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced, bases narrowed, sometimes weakly clasping;

distal reduced, widely separated, distalmost bractlike.

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.

2–20+ cm, essentially naked with much reduced bracts.

0–10+ cm.

ovoid to broadly cylindric or campanulate, 2.5–3.5 × 2–3 cm, thinly arachnoid.

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

pink to purple (white), 32–38 mm, tubes 15–20 mm, throats 6–9 mm, lobes 8–11 mm;

style tips 5–6 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 10–12 series, strongly imbricate, greenish with subapical darker central zone, ovate (outer) to lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle entire, bodies appressed, spines abruptly spreading to deflexed, slender, 2–4 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries narrow, flexuous, flattened, entire or finely erose.

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+, borne at tips of main stem and branches.

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

brown, 5–6 mm, apical collars yellow, ca. 1 mm;

pappi 25–30 mm.

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

pappi ca. 15 mm.

= 18 (as C. terrae-nigrae), 20 + 1B.

= 32.