Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches 0–few, ascending.

1, erect, (dark maroon), glabrous;

branches several to many, stiffly ascending, distally nodding.

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, 10–50 × 5–20 cm, 1–2 times pinnately lobed or divided, lobes lanceolate to ovate, main spines slender to stout, 3–10 mm, faces glossy green, glabrous;

basal present at flowering, petiolate or winged-petiolate, divided nearly to midveins;

proximal cauline winged-petiolate;

mid and distal sessile, progressively reduced, less deeply lobed, bases auriculate-clasping;

distalmost linear or lanceolate, bractlike, very spiny.

0–5 cm (elevated above distal leaves).

0.5–15+ cm.

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

(excluding spreading tips) broadly ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 2–3 × 2–3 cm, glabrous.

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

style tips 4–7 mm.

rich rose-purple, 20–26 mm, tubes 4–5 mm, throats 7–10 mm, lobes 10–11 mm;

style tips 2–2.5 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 8–10 series, strongly imbricate, (dark maroon, drying dark brown or blackish), ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with poorly developed glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bases appressed, margins entire, apices spreading to reflexed, elongate, ovate to lanceolate, 5–20 mm, flattened, ciliolate, adaxially minutely villous with septate trichomes, spines slender, 1–3 mm;

apices of inner flexuous, entire.

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).

many, nodding, borne 1–few at branch tips, collectively forming open, paniculiform arrays.

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

pappi (white or tawny) 20–30 mm.

brown, ca. 5 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi (brown), 18–20 mm.

= 22, 24.