Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches 0–many, ascending.

usually single, erect, tomentose to ± glabrate;

branches 0–many, usually restricted to distal part, ascending.

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 oblong to elliptic, 7–30 × 2–12 cm, unlobed and merely spinulose to irregularly dentate or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes ± triangular, separated by narrow to wide sinuses, sometimes coarsely dentate or lobed proximally, obtuse to acute, main spines slender to stout, 1–5 mm, abaxial faces arachnoid tomentose, adaxial glabrous or thinly arachnoid;

basal often absent at flowering, petioles slender, ± winged;

cauline progressively reduced, proximal petiolate, mid and distal broadly sessile, bases ± auriculate-clasping or decurrent 1–3 cm;

distalmost linear to lanceolate, bractlike, irregularly dentate or shallowly lobed.

0–25 cm.

slender, 3–30 cm (not overtopped by crowded distal leaves).

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

ovoid to hemispheric, 1.5–2 × 1.5–2 cm, thinly arachnoid, glabrate.

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 pink-purple, 20–25 mm, tubes 7–10 mm, throats 6–8 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 4–7 mm;

style tips 3–4 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 8–10 series, imbricate, green, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, bodies entire, acute, spines spreading, slender, 1–5 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, flat, scabrid-ciliolate, acuminate.

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

1–many, in openly paniculiform arrays.

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

pappi 12–25 mm.

brown, 3–5 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 15–16 mm.

= 32, 34, 36.

= 22, 23, 24.