Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches few–many, ascending.

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

branches few–many, 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 oblanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 10–25(–50) × 1–13 (–25) cm, usually deeply divided more than halfway to midveins, proximal sometimes undivided, lobes linear-lanceolate, margins revolute, ascending, entire or spinulose to remotely few toothed or sharply lobed, main spines 1–5 mm, abaxial faces white-tomentose, adaxial faces green, villous with septate trichomes or glabrate;

basal usually absent at flowering, winged-petiolate, bases tapered;

principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced, bases narrowed, sometimes weakly clasping, not decurrent;

distal cauline well developed.

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

0–5 cm (not overtopped by crowded distal cauline leaves).

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

ovoid to broadly cylindric or campanulate, 2–3.5(–4) × 1.5–3 cm, thinly arachnoid.

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.

pink to purple (white), 25–32 mm, tubes 12–16 mm, throats 7–10 mm, (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 6–9 mm;

style tips 4–6 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 10–12 series, strongly imbricate, greenish with subapical darker central zone, ovate (outer) to lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle bodies appressed, margins entire, spines abruptly spreading to deflexed, slender, 3–9 mm;

spines slender, 3–9 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries spreading, narrow, flattened, finely serrulate.

few–many, in open corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

1–many in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

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

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

tan to brownish, 4–5 mm, apical collars straw-colored, 0.5–75 mm;

pappi 18–25 mm.

= 24, 26, 28.

= 20, 21, 22.