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).

1–several, erect, (hollow), openly branched distally or throughout, thinly arachnoid with fine, non-septate trichomes, glabrate.

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 elliptic to broadly oblanceolate, 10–40+ cm, pinnatifid 1/2–2/3 distance to midveins, larger usually with broad sinuses, lobes broad, few lobed or dentate, main spines 2–9 mm, abaxial faces ± gray-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate, adaxial thinly arachnoid-tomentose, soon glabrescent;

basal present or withered at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline sessile, progressively reduced distally, bases auriculate-clasping or shortly decurrent;

distal cauline reduced, bractlike, often spinier than proximal.

0–1 cm.

0–10+ cm.

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

ovoid to campanulate, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–3 cm, thinly arachnoid, 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.

pale rose-purple, 18–23 mm, tubes 8–10 mm, throats 5–6 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3.5–4.5 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 6–9 series, imbricate, dark green to brownish, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, apices spreading, finely serrulate, spines slender, 1–2 mm;

apices of inner erect, ± flexuous.

few–many in dense clusters at branch tips.

borne singly or few at branch tips, sometimes subtended by clustered, ± leafy bracts, collectively forming ± open, many-headed paniculiform arrays.

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

pappi 9–11 mm.

dark brown to black, 4–5 mm, collars very narrow, stramineous;

pappi ca. 15 mm.

= 34.

= 32.