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.

1–several, erect or ascending to lax and hanging, glabrous or thinly tomentose;

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 elliptic, 30–90+ × 10–40 cm, 1–2 times pinnately lobed, lobes linear to ovate, strongly undulate, main spines slender, 5–15 mm, faces often glaucous, glabrous or thinly tomentose and soon glabrescent;

basal present at flowering, petiolate or winged-petiolate;

proximal cauline winged-petiolate;

mid sessile, much reduced, less deeply lobed, bases clasping, short-decurrent 0–2 cm;

distal linear or lanceolate, bractlike, very spiny.

0–10 cm, leafy-bracted.

0.5–6 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, 1.4–2 × 1–2 cm, phyllary margins thinly tomentose or glabrate.

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.

dull white to pink or purple, 16–20 mm, tubes 7–8.5 mm, throats 4–6.5 mm, lobes 4.5–6 mm;

style tips 2.5 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 5–8 series, strongly imbricate, (green, drying green or light brown), ovate to lance-oblong, abaxial faces with or without poorly developed glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bases appressed, margins entire, not scabridulous-ciliolate, apices spreading or reflexed, green to brownish, lance-ovate, elongate, flattened, spines slender, 3–25 mm;

apices of inner straight, entire.

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

few–many, erect or nodding in clusters at tips of distal branches in paniculiform arrays, not closely subtended by clustered leafy bracts.

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

pappi 20–40 mm.

gray or brown, 3.7–4.5 mm, apical collars not differentiated;

pappi 10–15 mm.

= 32.

= 34.