Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1 and erect, less commonly several and ascending, simple to sparingly short-branched in distal 1/2, variably villous with jointed trichomes, and/or finely arachnoid, or ± glabrate;

branches on distal stems 0–many, short, ascending.

several, erect to spreading, thinly arachnoid, soon glabrous;

branches ± fleshy, usually much branched proximally, spreading to ascending.

blades linear-oblong to elliptic, 5–25 × 1–8 cm, subentire to coarsely dentate or deeply pinnatifid, lobes lance-oblong to broadly triangular, spinulose to spiny-dentate or shallowly lobed, main spines 2–10 mm, abaxial faces usually ± densely gray- or white-tomentose with felted arachnoid trichomes, ± villous to tomentose along major veins with septate trichomes, sometimes glabrous or glabrate, adaxial ± green, glabrous to thinly arachnoid, often ± villous or tomentose with septate trichomes;

basal often present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate or sessile;

principal cauline well distributed, proximally winged-petiolate, distally sessile, gradually reduced, bases sometimes short-decurrent;

distal ± reduced, often narrower than proximal, sometimes with non-pigmented bases, sometimes pectinately spiny.

blades ± elliptic, 30–75 × 10–20 cm, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes oblong to ovate, unlobed or with several prominent secondary lobes or large teeth, obtuse to acute, main spines 2–7 mm, abaxial gray arachnoid-tomentose, adaxial faces thinly arachnoid, glabrate;

basal often present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, bases clasping with broad, spiny-margined auricles, reduced distally, spinier than proximal;

distal much reduced, spines 7–20 mm.

0–8+ cm.

0–7 cm.

(green or often purplish), broadly ovoid, 2–3.3 × 1.5–4 cm, loosely to densely villous with septate trichomes to tomentose and/or arachnoid.

ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 1.5–3 × 1.5–5 cm, sparsely to densely arachnoid, finely short-ciliate.

white, ochroleucous, or occasionally pink, 20–28 mm, tubes 10–13 mm, throats 6.5–9 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3–5.5 mm.

dark reddish purple, 17–24 mm, tubes 8–11 mm, throats 3.5–6 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3–4 mm.

in 4–8 series, imbricate to subequal, bases short-appressed, entire, abaxial faces with or without narrow glutinous ridge, apices stiffly spreading to ascending, linear, long, plane, spines straight, slender, 3–5 mm;

apices of inner flexuous, sometimes expanded and erose.

in ca. 6 series, dark green or brown or with stramineous margins and a darker central zone, imbricate, linear-lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies appressed, spiny-ciliate, apices long-spreading to ascending long-acuminate, spines straight, stout, 5–15 mm;

apices of inner straight or twisted, long, entire, flat or spine-tipped.

1–many, borne singly or crowded in spiciform, racemiform, subcapitate, or sometimes more openly branched corymbiform arrays.

several–many, in congested corymbiform arrays.

dark brown, 5–6.5 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 18–22 mm.

dark brown, 4–5 mm, apical collars narrow;

pappi 15 mm.

= 34.

= 32.