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.

usually 1, erect, glabrous to ± tomentose;

branches many, usually restricted to distal part of stem, 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 oblong to elliptic, 10–60 × 5–20 cm, unlobed and merely spinulose to irregularly dentate or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes ± broadly triangular, separated by wide sinuses, obtuse to acute, sometimes coarsely toothed or lobed, main spines slender, 1–3 mm, faces thinly arachnoid, soon glabrescent;

basal often present at flowering, petioles slender, ± winged;

cauline progressively reduced, proximal petiolate, mid and distal sessile, long-decurrent;

distalmost linear to narrowly elliptic, bractlike, spinulose to irregularly dentate or shallowly lobed.

0–10 cm, leafy-bracted.

slender, 1–15 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.

ovoid to hemispheric, 1–2 × 1–2 cm, thinly arachnoid, 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.

white to pink-purple, 19–21 mm, tubes 9–10 mm, throats 4–4.5 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 2–3.5 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 8–9 series, strongly imbricate, green, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, bodies entire, apices acute, spines spreading, slender, ca. 1 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, acuminate, flat, scabrid-ciliolate.

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

many, in openly paniculiform arrays, borne singly at tips of peduncles.

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

pappi 20–40 mm.

brown, ca. 4.5 mm, apical collars stramineous, 0.2 mm;

pappi 15–16 mm.

= 32.