Flora of North America species comparison

1–few, erect or ascending, arachnoid-tomentose or ± glabrate;

branches 0–5+, usually in distal 1/2, ascending.

1–several, spreading to erect, (usually very leafy in distal 1/2), loosely arachnoid, and villous with jointed, multicellular trichomes;

branches 0–few from above middle, ascending.

blades linear to oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic, 5–25 × 0.6–7 cm, unlobed and merely spinulose or spiny-dentate to regularly pinnatifid, lobes 5–8(–many) pairs, well separated, usually with broad, U-shaped sinuses to crowded, linear to triangular-ovate, ascending-spreading to retrorse, merely spinulose to coarsely dentate or few lobed, main spines 2–7 mm, ± slender, abaxial faces gray to white, usually densely arachnoid-tomentose, sometimes ± glabrate, sometimes villous with septate trichomes along veins, adaxial green, glabrous or less commonly thinly to densely gray-tomentose;

basal often present at flowering, spiny winged-petiolate;

principal cauline well distributed, gradually reduced distally, proximal usually winged-petiolate, mid and distal sessile, bases decurrent as spiny wings 1.5–3.5 cm;

distalmost reduced, ± bractlike.

linear to oblong or oblanceolate, 6–16 × 1–3.5 cm, unlobed to sinuate-dentate or shallowly pinnatifid, main spines 1–4 mm, fine, faces ± green, shaggy-villous with septate trichomes, abaxial loosely arachnoid when young;

basal and proximal cauline usually absent at time of flowering;

mid and distal nearly uniform in size or gradually reduced, bases clasping;

distalmost cauline ± bractlike.

0–15 cm.

0–2 cm.

ovoid to campanulate, 1.8–2.7 × 1–2 cm, thinly arachnoid-tomentose or glabrate.

ovoid or cylindric to campanulate, 2–4 × 1.5–4 cm, loosely arachnoid, ± glabrate.

pink to purple (creamy white), 18–25 mm, tubes 7–9 mm, throats 5.5–7.5 mm, lobes 4–8 mm;

style tips 3–5.5 mm.

light purple, 33–40 mm, tubes 14–15 mm, throats 12–15 mm, lobes 7–9 mm;

style tips 4.5–6 mm.

in 6–7 series, ± imbricate, green or with dark subapical patch or appendage, linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire, abaxial faces with narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle bases appressed, apical appendages spreading to stiffly ascending, linear-lanceolate to acicular, entire, spines spreading or ascending, stout, 2–7 mm, often flattened;

apices of inner stiffly erect or sometimes flexuous, narrow, flat.

in 6–9 series, imbricate, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with glutinous ridge, outer and middle tightly appressed, bodies scabrous or spinulose, spines erect or weakly ascending, 1–4 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries long-acuminate, spineless.

1–few, borne singly or in 2–3-headed clusters in ± congested flat-topped or racemiform arrays at tips of main stem and branches, sometimes also in distal axils.

1–5, in corymbiform arrays.

tan to dark brown, 5–6 mm, apical collars yellow, narrow;

pappi 14–16 mm.

light brown, 3.5–4 mm, apical collars yellowish, ca. 0.8 mm;

pappi 15–30 mm.

= 34.

= 30.