Flora of North America species comparison

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

branches few–many, ascending.

1–several, usually erect, often stout, glabrous to densely tomentose;

branches 0–many, spreading to ascending, short, stout.

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 linear to oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic, 10–40 × 2–10 cm, unlobed and spiny-dentate to deeply pinnatifid, lobes spiny-dentate or coarsely lobed, main spines stout, 5–30 mm, abaxial faces subglabrous to loosely tomentose, adaxial glabrous to ± densely villous with septate trichomes;

basal present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate, bases often tapered;

principal cauline sessile, well distributed, often not much reduced distally, bases often ± auriculate-clasping;

distal cauline often spinier than the proximal.

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

0–5 cm.

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

hemispheric to campanulate, 3–5 × 3–8 cm.

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.

white to yellow, pink, purple, or red, 30–47 mm, tubes 11–30 mm, throats 6–10 mm, lobes 7–10 mm;

style tips 3–5 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 5–9 series, subequal to imbricate, light green to stramineous, lanceolate to linear, distally often with reddish margins, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge, often ± thinly tomentose, often scabridulous in submarginal bands;

outer and middle appressed-ascending, bodies usually reddish-tinged, margins setulose-ciliolate, apices acuminate, spines 1–2 mm, weak;

apices of inner straight, flat.

few–many, in open corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

1–20 in subcapitate to corymbiform arrays (each closely subtended by an involucre-like ring of spiny-margined bracts).

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

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

straw-colored to tan, 4–6 mm, apical collars weakly differentiated;

pappi 25–35 mm.

= 24, 26, 28.

= 32, 33, 34, 35.