Flora of North America species comparison

1–20+, erect or ascending, densely gray-tomentose with non-septate trichomes;

branches 0 or few, usually in distal 1/2, ascending.

blades oblong to narrowly elliptic, 10–30 × 2–8 cm, strongly undulate, margins coarsely dentate or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid with 8–15 pairs of lobes 0.5–2 cm, often revolute, lobes ± triangular, closely spaced, spreading, spinose-dentate and cleft into 2–5 spine-tipped divisions, main spines 5–20 mm, yellowish, abaxial faces densely white-tomentose, adaxial thinly gray-tomentose;

basal usually present at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, progressively reduced distally, bases ± auriculate to long-decurrent as spiny wings;

distal cauline usually much reduced, less lobed.

0–4 cm.

ovoid to hemispheric or broadly campanulate, 2.5–4.5 × 2.5–4.5 cm in first-formed heads, often smaller in later ones, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

white or pale lavender to purple, pink, or red, 25–45 mm, tubes 8–25 mm, throats 6–17 mm, lobes 6–15 mm;

style tips 2–8 mm.

in 5–10 series, imbricate, ovate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), margins entire, abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, spines spreading, 3–12 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, expanded and flat, scabrid-margined, sometimes erose, spineless.

1–few, in leafy, ± corymbiform arrays.

light brown, sometimes with lighter or darker streaks, 6–9 mm, apical collars colored like the body, narrow;

pappi (white or tawny), 20–40 mm, usually noticeably shorter than corolla.

= 30, 31, 32, 34.