Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches 0–few, ascending.

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-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.

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.

0–5 cm (elevated above distal leaves).

0–2 cm.

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

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

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

style tips 4–7 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 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, 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.

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).

1–5, in corymbiform arrays.

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

pappi (white or tawny) 20–30 mm.

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

pappi 15–30 mm.

= 22, 24.

= 30.