Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches 0–few, ascending.

1–several, erect or ascending, thinly gray-tomentose or ± glabrate;

branches few to many, 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 elliptic to oblong, 8–40 × 1–12 cm, margins weakly to strongly undulate, spinose-dentate or shallowly to deeply lobed, lobes ascending to spreading, ± triangular, mostly well separated, spinulose and coarsely dentate or cleft into 2–3 lanceolate to triangular, often entire-margined, spine-tipped divisions, main spines 2.5–7+ mm, abaxial faces densely gray-tomentose, adaxial thinly tomentose;

basal sometimes present at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline becoming sessile and progressively reduced distally, widest at bases, bases ± auriculate-clasping to short-decurrent;

distal cauline reduced, often spinier.

0–5 cm (elevated above distal leaves).

0–10+ cm.

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

ovoid to hemispheric or broadly campanulate, 2–3 × 1.7–3.5 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.

white to lavender or pink-purple, 23–30 mm, tubes 9–14 mm, throats 5.5–10.5 mm, lobes 5.5–9.5 mm;

style tips 4–7 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 6–10 series, imbricate, ovate to lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), margins entire, abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, spines spreading, slender to stout, 2–6 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, narrow, flat, ± entire, spineless or tipped with weak spines.

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–many, terminal on branches and often in leaf axils, in leafy, ± corymbiform arrays.

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

pappi (white or tawny) 20–30 mm.

light to dark brown, 6–7 mm, apical collars colored like body or rarely yellowish, narrow;

pappi 20–23 mm, usually noticeably shorter than corolla.

= 22, 24.

= 24.