Flora of North America species comparison

1–10+, erect or ascending, glabrous to thinly gray-tomentose, sometimes villous with septate trichomes;

branches 0 or few, ascending.

single, erect, ± glabrous to variably tomentose with coarse, jointed, multicellular trichomes and/or fine smooth trichomes;

branches 0–few, ascending.

blades elliptic to obovate, 5–20 × 3–7 cm, strongly undulate, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid with 3–8 pairs of lobes, lobes linear-lanceolate to broadly triangular, (often longer than 2 cm), closely spaced, spreading, spinose-dentate or lobed, main spines slender to stout, 2–15 mm, abaxial faces thinly to densely tomentose, ± villous with septate trichomes along veins, glabrescent or trichomes persistent, adaxial thinly arachnoid-tomentose and soon glabrescent;

basal usually present at flowering, petiolate;

principal cauline petiolate, progressively reduced distally, bases sometimes decurrent as spiny wings to 1 cm;

distal reduced, similar to proximal.

blades broadly elliptic to obovate, 15–40 × 7–15 cm, subentire to coarsely pinnatifid 1/2–2/3 length to midveins, lobes few, lanceolate to triangular-ovate, shallowly lobed or dentate, main spines bristlelike, fine, innocuous, 3–6 mm, abaxial glabrous to villous with septate trichomes or thinly tomentose with jointed trichomes, adaxial faces glabrous or loosely tomentose along midveins;

basal usually absent at flowering, winged-petiolate, ciliate with fine, flexible spines to 8 mm;

principal cauline well distributed, little reduced, bases broadly tapered to clasping, short-decurrent;

distalmost moderately reduced.

0–10 cm, leafy-bracted.

0–1 cm.

ovoid to hemispheric or broadly campanulate, 2.5–5 (in first-formed heads, often smaller in later heads) × 2.5–6 cm, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

hemispheric to broadly campanulate, 1.5–2 × 2–3.5 cm, ± densely arachnoid.

tips 3–4 mm.

white or pale lavender to purple, 25–35 mm, tubes 10–20 mm, throats 7–10 mm, lobes 5–8 mm;

style tips 2.5–4.5 mm.

pink to purple, 16–17 mm, tubes 8–9 mm, throats 3–4 mm, lobes 4–5 mm.

in 5–10 series, imbricate, ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), margins of outer entire, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid appressed, spines erect or ascending, (0–)1–2(–10) mm;

apices of mid and inner narrowed and scabrido-denticulate or with expanded, spinuloso-serrate or -dentate tips, spineless or spine-tipped.

in 5–7 series, subequal, green or tinged purple, linear or linear-lanceolate, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge, outer and middle erect or outer spreading, entire, apices long-acuminate, spines 0–2 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries straight or flexuous, flat.

1–few, erect, ± crowded, often closely subtended by distalmost leaves.

1–few, in spiciform or subcapitate arrays.

brown, 5–6.5 mm, apical collars colored like body;

pappi 20–40 mm.

brown, 4 mm, apical collars not well differentiated;

pappi 12–15 mm.

= 32.

= 68 (Japan).