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.

1–few, erect, gray-tomentose or glabrate;

branches few, above middle, 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 oblong-elliptic, 10–35 × 2–7 cm, strongly undulate, margins shallowly to deeply lobed, lobes 8–15 pairs, linear-lanceolate to broadly triangular, closely spaced, spreading, coarsely spinose-dentate or cleft into 2–5 spine-tipped divisions, main spines 3–5 mm, faces densely gray-white-tomentose;

basal usually present at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline becoming sessile and progressively reduced distally, bases decurrent as spiny wings to 5 cm;

distal cauline usually much reduced, less lobed.

0–8+ cm.

0–4 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, 1.7–2 × 1.5–2 cm, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

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.

lavender to pink-purple, 18–28 mm, tubes 7–9 mm, throats 4–8 mm, lobes 5–11 mm;

style tips 3.5–5 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 6–9 series, imbricate, ovate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), entire, abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, spines ascending to spreading, stramineous, 2–7 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, narrow, flat, entire, spineless, glabrous.

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

1–20+, borne singly or clustered at branch tips, in leafy, ± corymbiform arrays.

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

pappi 18–22 mm.

tan to brown, 5–5.5 mm, apical collars colored like body, narrow;

pappi 15–23 mm.

= 34.