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.

usually 1, erect, thinly gray-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate;

branches few–many, usually from above middle, 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.

blades oblong–elliptic to oblanceolate, 6–35 × 1.5–7 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, faces gray-tomentose, sometimes glabrate;

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

principal cauline sessile, much reduced distally, bases decurrent as spiny wings less than 5 cm;

distal much reduced, ± bractlike, sometimes scarcely more than a cluster of long spines.

0–4 cm.

(2.5–)5–30 cm, bracted.

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.

shallowly hemispheric or campanulate, 2–3 × 2.5–5 cm, arachnoid to ± loosely tomentose, sometimes glabrous.

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.

white to pale lavender or pink, 18–27 mm, tubes 8–14 mm, throats 4–7 mm, lobes 5–9 mm;

style tips 4–5 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.

in 7–10 series, imbricate to subequal, linear to narrowly lanceolate, abaxial faces with narrow or no glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies appressed, entire or minutely spinulose, apices deflexed to spreading or ascending, long, flat, spines spreading to reflexed, 4–15 mm;

apices of inner erect, often flexuous, flat.

1–few, in leafy, ± corymbiform arrays.

1–6 (many on large individuals), borne singly or in 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.

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

pappi 15–20 mm.

= 30, 31, 32, 34.

= 30 (as C. utahense), 32; 30 + 1 I.