Flora of North America species comparison

single, erect, villous with septate trichomes or glabrate, distally sometimes thinly tomentose;

branches few–many, ascending.

1, erect, thinly arachnoid and/or puberulent to short-pilose, sometimes ± glabrate;

branches 0–4, ascending.

ovate to broadly elliptic or obovate, 15–55 × 4–20 cm, deeply pinnatifid, to 7/8 to midribs, lobes linear to lanceolate, acute to acuminate, irregularly few toothed or lobed, main spines 2–3 mm, abaxial faces thinly tomentose or glabrate, villous with septate trichomes on the veins, adaxial faces thinly pilose;

basal usually absent at flowering, petioles spiny-winged, bases tapered;

principal cauline petiolate or sessile, gradually reduced distally, bases sometimes ± clasping, not decurrent;

distal cauline bractlike with narrowly linear lobes, often spinier than the proximal.

blades oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 20–30 × 3–8 cm, spinulose and otherwise entire or coarsely dentate to deeply pinnatifid, lobes entire or coarsely few toothed or lobed, main spines slender, 3–6 mm, abaxial ± persistently gray-tomentose, sometimes pilose along veins, adaxial faces thinly arachnoid and ± glabrate;

basal often present at flowering, sessile or narrowly winged-petiolate;

principal cauline gradually winged-petiolate or sessile, reduced distally, bases sometimes clasping or short-decurrent;

distal cauline ascending, becoming bractlike, narrow, lobed or not.

0–15 cm (sometimes overtopped by distal cauline leaves, not subtended by involucre-like ring of bracts).

10–30 cm.

ovoid to broadly cylindric or campanulate, 1.7–3 × 1–3 cm, arachnoid.

hemispheric, 2–3 × 2–4 cm, thinly arachnoid or glabrous.

lavender or purple (white), 16–32 mm, tubes 7–15 mm, throats 4.5–10 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 4–8 mm;

style tips 3.5–5 mm.

deep purple, 22–30 mm, tubes 13–18 mm, throats 4–5 mm, lobes 5–8 mm;

style tips 4–4.5 mm.

in 8–12 series, strongly imbricate, dull green with darker subapical patch, ovate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle appressed, bodies minutely spinulose, apices obtuse to acute, spines erect (sometimes appearing as spreading in dry specimens), 0–0.5 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries straight or ± flexuous, flattened.

in ca. 8 series, imbricate, proximally brownish, distally dark purplish, lanceolate to linear, margins of outer hispidulous-ciliolate, spiny fringed, pinnately spiny or with scarious appendages, abaxial faces with prominent, glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed or only apices spreading, bodies minutely spinulose-denticulate, spines erect to ascending, 1.5–2.5 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries often flexuous, flat, scabridulous.

1–many in ± open corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

1–5.

dark brown, 4.5–5.5 mm, apical collars yellow, 0.3 mm;

pappi 12–20 mm.

tan with dark speckles to dark purplish brown, 4–5.5 mm, apical collars not differently colored;

pappi 13–18 mm.

= 20, 21, 22, 23, 30.

= 32 (Mexico).