Flora of North America species comparison

1–several, erect, loosely arachnoid-tomentose, glandular-pilose;

branches several to many, spreading.

single, erect, villous with septate trichomes or glabrate, distally sometimes thinly tomentose;

branches few–many, ascending.

blades oblanceolate to oblong or elliptic, 20–70 × 5–16 cm, strongly undulate, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes coarsely toothed or with triangular secondary lobes, main spines 3–15 mm, abaxial faces more densely tomentose, adaxial densely glandular with short, multicellular trichomes and ± tomentose with fine, arachnoid, non-septate trichomes;

basal often present at flowering, petiolate;

principal cauline well distributed, becoming sessile, gradually reduced distally, bases auriculate-decurrent with broad, spiny-margined wings 3 cm or less;

distal cauline leaves progressively reduced, ± bractlike.

ovate to broadly elliptic or obovate, 15–55 × 4–20 cm, deeply pinnatifid, to 7/8 to midribs, lobes linear to lanceolate, acute to acuminate, irregularly few toothed or lobed, main spines 2–3 mm, abaxial faces thinly tomentose or glabrate, villous with septate trichomes on the veins, adaxial faces thinly pilose;

basal usually absent at flowering, petioles spiny-winged, bases tapered;

principal cauline petiolate or sessile, gradually reduced distally, bases sometimes ± clasping, not decurrent;

distal cauline bractlike with narrowly linear lobes, often spinier than the proximal.

0–7 cm.

0–15 cm (sometimes overtopped by distal cauline leaves, not subtended by involucre-like ring of bracts).

(green to purple), hemispheric or campanulate, 1.5–3 × 2–5 cm, glabrous or puberulent.

ovoid to broadly cylindric or campanulate, 1.7–3 × 1–3 cm, arachnoid.

white to pinkish or lavender, 14.5–22 mm, tubes 5–8 mm, throats 4.5–9 mm, lobes 3–8 mm;

style tips 2.5–4.5 mm.

lavender or purple (white), 16–32 mm, tubes 7–15 mm, throats 4.5–10 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 4–8 mm;

style tips 3.5–5 mm.

in 6–10 series, imbricate, ovate to lanceolate, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bases appressed, short, bodies entire to erose or ciliolate (rarely outer spine-margined), apices spreading to recurved or reflexed, long, dilated, adaxially puberulent, spines 1–6 mm;

apices of inner erect or reflexed, flattened or tipped with short spines.

in 8–12 series, strongly imbricate, dull green with darker subapical patch, ovate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle appressed, bodies minutely spinulose, apices obtuse to acute, spines erect (sometimes appearing as spreading in dry specimens), 0–0.5 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries straight or ± flexuous, flattened.

few–many, ± nodding, in paniculiform or corymbiform arrays, bracts leafy or much reduced.

1–many in ± open corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

brownish, 3.4–5 mm, apical collars tan;

pappi 12–15 mm.

dark brown, 4.5–5.5 mm, apical collars yellow, 0.3 mm;

pappi 12–20 mm.

perennials, 50–220 cm; woody tap-rooted caudices with numerous coarse, fibrous lateral roots, sometimes forming new rosettes from root sprouts.

= 20, 21, 22, 23, 30.