Flora of North America species comparison

single, erect, villous to tomentose with jointed trichomes, distally tomentose with fine, unbranched trichomes;

branches 0–few, ascending, (short).

usually 1, erect, ± gray-tomentose, sometimes villous with septate trichomes;

branches 0–10+, usually arising in distal 1/2, ascending, usually reaching a ± common height.

blades narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 15–30+ × 3–10 cm, margins shallowly to very deeply pinnatifid, narrow lobes separated by broad sinuses, spiny-dentate to lobed, main spines 2–6 mm, abaxial villous to tomentose with jointed trichomes, sometimes also thinly tomentose with fine unbranched trichomes, adaxial faces villous with septate trichomes or glabrate;

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

cauline many, sessile, gradually reduced and becoming widely spaced above, bases long-decurrent with prominently spiny wings;

distal cauline deeply pinnatifid with few-toothed spine-tipped lobes.

blades linear-oblong to oblanceolate or elliptic, 10–30 × 3–7 cm, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid with 3–8 pairs of lobes, longer than 2 cm, lobes well separated, linear to triangular-ovate, dentate to lobed proximally, main spines slender, 2–7 mm, faces green to gray, thinly to densely arachnoid-tomentose with fine, non-septate trichomes, sometimes villous with septate trichomes along veins, usually ± loose and irregularly deciduous from leaves in age;

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

principal cauline mostly in proximal 1/2, winged-petiolate or sessile, bases narrowed, auriculate, veins often prominently raised on abaxial faces;

distal sessile, auriculate-clasping or short-decurrent 1–10 mm, progressively reduced becoming bractlike, often unlobed or less deeply divided and sometimes spinier than proximal.

0–1 cm.

(0–)2–15 cm.

ovoid to campanulate, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1.3 cm, thinly cobwebby tomentose with fine unbranched trichomes.

ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 2–3 × 1.5–3.5 cm, ± arachnoid-floccose, often glabrate.

lavender to purple (white), 11–13 mm, tubes 5–7 mm, throats 2–3 mm, lobes 3–4.5 mm;

style tips 1.5–2 mm.

creamy white to purplish, 20–31 mm, tubes 8–14 mm, throats 5.5–10 mm, lobes 6–7 mm;

style tips 4–6 mm.

in 5–7 series, strongly imbricate, greenish, or with purplish tinge, lanceolate to ovate (outer) or linear-lanceolate (inner), margins thinly arachnoid-ciliate, abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle appressed, entire, apices acute, mucronate or spines erect or spreading, weak, 0.3–1 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries purplish, linear-attenuate, scarious, flat.

in 8–10 series, subequal to strongly imbricate, green, linear to lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), entire, abaxial faces with inconspicuous to prominent glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bodies loosely spreading to ascending or appressed, apices subappressed to ascending or spreading, flat, spines ascending to spreading, fine, 2–4 mm;

apices of inner commonly flexuous or reflexed, narrow, flat, scarious.

few–many in dense clusters at branch tips.

borne singly, terminal on main stem and branches, sometimes also in distal axils, erect, not subtended by well-developed leaves, collectively forming corymbiform or racemiform arrays.

tan to stramineous, 2.5–3.5 mm, apical collars 0.1–0.2 mm, shiny;

pappi 9–11 mm.

tan to dark brown, 5–7.5 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 16–25 mm.

= 34.