Flora of North America species comparison

1–several, erect, gray- or white-tomentose;

branches 0–few, ascending.

1–few, erect, gray-tomentose or glabrate;

branches few, above middle, ascending.

blades oblong-oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 4–40 × 1–10 cm, bases usually not decurrent, finely spiny-toothed and undivided to coarsely toothed or deeply pinnatifid, lobes broadly triangular to linear-lanceolate, often revolute-margined, main spines 1–7 mm, abaxial faces white-tomentose, adaxial faces green, thinly tomentose, ± glabrate;

basal usually absent or withered at flowering, winged petiolate;

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

distal cauline well developed.

blades oblong-elliptic, 10–35 × 2–7 cm, strongly undulate, margins shallowly to deeply lobed, lobes 8–15 pairs, linear-lanceolate to broadly triangular, closely spaced, spreading, coarsely spinose-dentate or cleft into 2–5 spine-tipped divisions, main spines 3–5 mm, faces densely gray-white-tomentose;

basal usually present at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline becoming sessile and progressively reduced distally, bases decurrent as spiny wings to 5 cm;

distal cauline usually much reduced, less lobed.

0–5 cm (elevated above distal leaves).

0–4 cm.

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

ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 1.7–2 × 1.5–2 cm, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

purple (white), 23–36 mm, tubes 12–15 mm, throats 6–8.5 mm, lobes 5–9 mm;

style tips 4–7 mm.

lavender to pink-purple, 18–28 mm, tubes 7–9 mm, throats 4–8 mm, lobes 5–11 mm;

style tips 3.5–5 mm.

in 7–12 series, strongly imbricate, greenish with subapical darker central zone, ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

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

apices of inner spreading, flexuous, narrow, flattened, finely serrulate, ± scabrous.

in 6–9 series, imbricate, ovate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), entire, abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, spines ascending to spreading, stramineous, 2–7 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, narrow, flat, entire, spineless, glabrous.

erect, borne singly and terminal on main stem and branches, or few in corymbiform arrays from distal axils (not subtended by ring of spiny-margined bracts).

1–20+, borne singly or clustered at branch tips, in leafy, ± corymbiform arrays.

light brown, 3–5 mm, apical collars stramineous, 0.5–1 mm;

pappi (white or tawny) 20–30 mm.

tan to brown, 5–5.5 mm, apical collars colored like body, narrow;

pappi 15–23 mm.

= 22, 24.