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).

single, erect, villous with septate trichomes, sometimes ± glabrate, distally ± tomentose;

branches few–many, ascending.

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 oblanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 10–25(–50) × 1–13 (–25) cm, usually deeply divided more than halfway to midveins, proximal sometimes undivided, lobes linear-lanceolate, margins revolute, ascending, entire or spinulose to remotely few toothed or sharply lobed, main spines 1–5 mm, abaxial faces white-tomentose, adaxial faces green, villous with septate trichomes or glabrate;

basal usually absent at flowering, winged-petiolate, bases tapered;

principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced, bases narrowed, sometimes weakly clasping, not decurrent;

distal cauline well developed.

0–1 cm.

0–5 cm (not overtopped by crowded distal cauline leaves).

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

ovoid to broadly cylindric or campanulate, 2–3.5(–4) × 1.5–3 cm, thinly arachnoid.

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.

pink to purple (white), 25–32 mm, tubes 12–16 mm, throats 7–10 mm, (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 6–9 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 10–12 series, strongly imbricate, greenish with subapical darker central zone, ovate (outer) to lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge, outer and middle bodies appressed, margins entire, spines abruptly spreading to deflexed, slender, 3–9 mm;

spines slender, 3–9 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries spreading, narrow, flattened, finely serrulate.

few–many in dense clusters at branch tips.

1–many in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

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

pappi 9–11 mm.

tan to brownish, 4–5 mm, apical collars straw-colored, 0.5–75 mm;

pappi 18–25 mm.

= 34.

= 20, 21, 22.