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.

usually 1, erect, stout, ± fleshy, simple, very leafy, densely villous or tomentose with septate trichomes.

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 linear-oblong to oblanceolate (elliptic), 5–20(–25) × 1–4(–7) cm, subentire to dentate or pinnatifid, lobes lance-oblong to triangular, spinulose to spiny-dentate or shallowly lobed, main spines slender, 2–5(–10) mm, abaxial faces often thinly gray- or white-tomentose with felted arachnoid trichomes, ± villous along major veins with septate trichomes, adaxial green, glabrous to thinly arachnoid, often ± villous with septate trichomes;

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

principal cauline well distributed, proximally winged-petiolate, distally sessile, not or only slightly reduced;

distal often narrower than proximal.

0–8+ cm.

0–1 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.

broadly ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 cm, green, glabrous to densely villous with septate trichomes on margins.

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.

white to pale pink, 21–25 mm, tubes 12–14 mm, throats (very slender, scarcely larger than tubes) 6–7 mm, lobes 3–4 mm;

style tips 2.5–3 mm, short exserted.

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 4–6 series, imbricate, lanceolate or ovate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), bases appressed, margins of outer entire, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge, apices appressed to ascending, spines straight, slender, 2–3 mm;

apices of inner erect, straight.

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

few–many, erect, sessile or subsessile, crowded in dense, woolly, leafy-bracted, subcapitate arrays, closely subtended and overtopped by crowded leafy bracts.

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

pappi 18–22 mm.

light brown, 4–5.5 mm, apical collars yellow, narrow;

pappi 23–29 mm, exceeding corollas.

= 34.

= 34.