Flora of North America species comparison

1–few, erect, distal 1/2 nearly naked, loosely arachnoid;

branches 0–5(–10), stiffly ascending.

usually single, erect, tomentose to ± glabrate;

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

blades linear to oblong or narrowly elliptic, 15–25 × 1–4 cm, coarsely toothed to shallowly pinnatifid, lobes undivided or coarsely few-toothed, main spines 3–6 mm, abaxial faces often ± glabrate, loosely arachnoid when young, adaxial glabrous or sparingly villous with coarse, multicellular trichomes;

basal sometimes absent at flowering, petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, progressively reduced distally, bases clasping or ± decurrent;

distal cauline few, widely separated, bractlike.

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.

5–30 cm (elevated above cauline leaves, not subtended by ring of involucre-like bracts).

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

broadly cylindric to campanulate, 2.5–4 × 1.5–4 cm, loosely arachnoid, ± glabrate.

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

pink-purple, 22–45 mm, tubes 10–23 mm, throats 8–14 mm, lobes 7–10 mm;

style tips 4–5 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, imbricate, ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge, outer and middle tightly appressed, margins spinulose-serrulate, spines ascending, 0.5–2 mm;

apices of inner flat, linear- acuminate.

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.

borne singly or less commonly 2–5(–10) in open, corymbiform arrays.

1–many, in openly paniculiform arrays.

light brown, 5–5.75 mm, apical collars paler than body, ca. 0.75 mm;

pappi 20–40 mm.

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

pappi 15–16 mm.

= 28, 32.

= 22, 23, 24.