Flora of North America species comparison

usually single, erect, glabrous or villous with septate trichomes;

branches few–many, ascending.

several, erect to spreading, thinly arachnoid, soon glabrous;

branches ± fleshy, usually much branched proximally, spreading to ascending.

blades narrowly to broadly elliptic, (10–)15–60 × (2–)5–15 cm, thin, ± flexible, deeply pinnatifid, lobes narrow, spreading, coarsely dentate or lobed, main spines 2–5 mm, abaxial faces thinly tomentose but often wholly glabrate in age, adaxial glabrous or sparsely villous with septate trichomes;

basal often absent at flowering, petioles slender, winged, bases tapered;

principal cauline becoming sessile and gradually reduced distally, bases spiny-lobed, sometimes decurrent;

distal reduced to linear bracts.

blades ± elliptic, 30–75 × 10–20 cm, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes oblong to ovate, unlobed or with several prominent secondary lobes or large teeth, obtuse to acute, main spines 2–7 mm, abaxial gray arachnoid-tomentose, adaxial faces thinly arachnoid, glabrate;

basal often present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, bases clasping with broad, spiny-margined auricles, reduced distally, spinier than proximal;

distal much reduced, spines 7–20 mm.

1–15 cm, essentially naked (not overtopped by crowded distal leaves).

0–7 cm.

hemispheric to campanulate, 1.5–2.5 × 1–2.5 cm, thinly arachnoid or glabrate.

ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 1.5–3 × 1.5–5 cm, sparsely to densely arachnoid, finely short-ciliate.

white to pink, lavender, or purple, 17–25 mm, tubes 5–11 mm, throats 4–7 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3–4.5 mm.

dark reddish purple, 17–24 mm, tubes 8–11 mm, throats 3.5–6 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3–4 mm.

in 6–10 series, strongly imbricate, green or brownish, ovate or elliptic (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, bodies entire, spines abruptly spreading, slender, 1–2(–3) mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, flat, attenuate.

in ca. 6 series, dark green or brown or with stramineous margins and a darker central zone, imbricate, linear-lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies appressed, spiny-ciliate, apices long-spreading to ascending long-acuminate, spines straight, stout, 5–15 mm;

apices of inner straight or twisted, long, entire, flat or spine-tipped.

few–many, in open corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

several–many, in congested corymbiform arrays.

dark brown, 3–4 mm, apical collars stramineous, 0.5 mm;

pappi 17–21 mm (longer bristles shorter than corollas).

dark brown, 4–5 mm, apical collars narrow;

pappi 15 mm.

= 24, 26, 28.

= 32.