Flora of North America species comparison

1–several, erect, thinly to densely gray-tomentose with fine, non-septate trichomes;

branches 0–many, ascending.

1–several, usually erect, often stout, glabrous to densely tomentose;

branches 0–many, spreading to ascending, short, stout.

blades oblanceolate or elliptic, 10–35 × 1–7 cm, unlobed and spinulose to dentate or deeply pinnatifid, usually 5–8 pairs of lobes, well separated, linear to lance-triangular, spinulose to few toothed or lobed, main spines 2–7 mm, abaxial faces densely gray-tomentose or sometimes ± glabrate, adaxial gray to ± green, thinly tomentose or ± glabrate;

basal sometimes present at flowering, narrowly winged-petiolate;

principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced, sometimes spinier than basal;

proximal winged-petiolate, mid sessile, bases spiny-winged, decurrent 1–3 cm;

distal becoming bractlike, often unlobed or less deeply divided than proximal.

blades linear to oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic, 10–40 × 2–10 cm, unlobed and spiny-dentate to deeply pinnatifid, lobes spiny-dentate or coarsely lobed, main spines stout, 5–30 mm, abaxial faces subglabrous to loosely tomentose, adaxial glabrous to ± densely villous with septate trichomes;

basal present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate, bases often tapered;

principal cauline sessile, well distributed, often not much reduced distally, bases often ± auriculate-clasping;

distal cauline often spinier than the proximal.

0–25 cm.

0–5 cm.

ovoid or hemispheric to campanulate, 2–3 × 1.5–5 cm, glabrous or loosely floccose to densely arachnoid.

hemispheric to campanulate, 3–5 × 3–8 cm.

dull white or faintly lavender-tinged to bright pink-purple, 19–31 mm, tubes 7–13 mm, throats 6.5–9.5 mm, lobes 4–8 mm;

style tips 3.5–7 mm.

white to yellow, pink, purple, or red, 30–47 mm, tubes 11–30 mm, throats 6–10 mm, lobes 7–10 mm;

style tips 3–5 mm.

in 6–10 series, strongly imbricate or sometimes subequal, greenish to brown, ovate to linear-lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), entire, abaxial faces with narrow or scarcely developed glutinous ridge;

outer and mid appressed or apices ascending to spreading, linear, bodies entire, spines ascending to abruptly spreading, usually fine, 2–6 mm;

apices of inner narrow, spine-tipped or spineless.

in 5–9 series, subequal to imbricate, light green to stramineous, lanceolate to linear, distally often with reddish margins, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge, often ± thinly tomentose, often scabridulous in submarginal bands;

outer and middle appressed-ascending, bodies usually reddish-tinged, margins setulose-ciliolate, apices acuminate, spines 1–2 mm, weak;

apices of inner straight, flat.

1–many, in open corymbiform arrays or crowded near stem tips.

1–20 in subcapitate to corymbiform arrays (each closely subtended by an involucre-like ring of spiny-margined bracts).

brown, 5–8 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 12–25 mm.

straw-colored to tan, 4–6 mm, apical collars weakly differentiated;

pappi 25–35 mm.

= 32, 34, 36.

= 32, 33, 34, 35.