Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, thinly to densely gray- or white-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate;

branches few–many, usually from above mid or near base in compact, moundlike dwarf plants, ascending to spreading.

usually 1, erect, glabrous to ± tomentose;

branches many, usually restricted to distal part of stem, ascending.

blades oblong–elliptic to oblanceolate, 6–40 × 1.5–10+ cm, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes usually rigidly spreading, undivided or with 1–2 pairs of coarse teeth or lobes, main spines 5–15 mm, both faces gray- to white-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate or adaxial faces green, thinly arachnoid-tomentose;

basal sometimes present at flowering, petiolate or sessile and bases tapered, spiny-winged;

principal cauline much reduced distally, sessile, bases decurrent or not, as spiny wings;

distal much reduced, linear, ± bractlike.

blades oblong to elliptic, 10–60 × 5–20 cm, unlobed and merely spinulose to irregularly dentate or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes ± broadly triangular, separated by wide sinuses, obtuse to acute, sometimes coarsely toothed or lobed, main spines slender, 1–3 mm, faces thinly arachnoid, soon glabrescent;

basal often present at flowering, petioles slender, ± winged;

cauline progressively reduced, proximal petiolate, mid and distal sessile, long-decurrent;

distalmost linear to narrowly elliptic, bractlike, spinulose to irregularly dentate or shallowly lobed.

1–30 cm.

slender, 1–15 cm.

ovoid to spheric, 1.5–5 × 1.5–8 cm, arachnoid to ± loosely tomentose, often adjacent phyllaries connected by conspicuous arachnoid trichomes, sometimes glabrous or glabrate.

ovoid to hemispheric, 1–2 × 1–2 cm, thinly arachnoid, glabrate.

white to lavender, pink, rose-purple, or red, 18–40 mm, tubes 8–18 mm, throats 5–7 mm, lobes 5–10 mm;

style tips 4–5 mm.

white to pink-purple, 19–21 mm, tubes 9–10 mm, throats 4–4.5 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 2–3.5 mm.

in 7–10 series, subequal to strongly imbricate, green or stramineous to purple-tinged, linear to narrowly lanceolate, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies appressed, entire, apices deflexed to spreading or ascending, short-triangular to elongate, linear-acicular, spines spreading to reflexed, 1–10+ mm;

apices of inner erect, often flexuous, flat.

in 8–9 series, strongly imbricate, green, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, bodies entire, apices acute, spines spreading, slender, ca. 1 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, acuminate, flat, scabrid-ciliolate.

1–many in loose to tight clusters (barely raised above rosette in dwarf plants).

many, in openly paniculiform arrays, borne singly at tips of peduncles.

± brown, 5–6 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 15–30 mm.

brown, ca. 4.5 mm, apical collars stramineous, 0.2 mm;

pappi 15–16 mm.