Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches 0–5(–10), stiffly ascending.

1–several, erect or ascending, densely gray-tomentose;

branches 0–few, usually above middle, 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 elliptic to oblong or ovate, 10–40 × 1–10 cm, margins strongly undulate, coarsely dentate or shallowly to deeply lobed, lobes ascending to spreading, ± triangular, well separated to closely spaced, spinulose and coarsely dentate or usually cleft into 2–3 lanceolate to triangular, often entire-margined, spine-tipped divisions, main spines (yellowish), 2–12+ mm, abaxial densely gray-tomentose, adaxial faces thinly tomentose;

basal sometimes present at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline becoming sessile and progressively reduced distally, widest at base, bases ± auriculate-clasping to short-decurrent;

distal reduced, spinier.

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

0–25+ cm.

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

ovoid to hemispheric or broadly campanulate, 2.5–4.5 × 1.5–4.5 cm, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

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

style tips 4–5 mm.

lavender to pink, purple, or white, 24–50 mm, tubes 12–28 mm, throats 6–14 mm, lobes 6.5–13 mm;

style tips 5–7.5 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 8–12 series, imbricate, ovate to lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, spines spreading, 1.5–5 mm;

apices of inner narrow, often flexuous, flat, ± entire, spineless or weakly spiny.

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

1–10+, terminal on branches, in leafy, ± corymbiform arrays.

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

pappi 20–40 mm.

light to dark brown, 6–7 mm, bodies and apical collars concolorous, narrow;

pappi 20–38 mm (usually scabridulous).

= 28, 32.

= 26.