Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, erect, finely arachnoid-tomentose, sometimes villous with septate trichomes below nodes;

branches 0–10+, slender, usually arising in distal 1/2, ascending.

single, erect, ± arachnoid-tomentose;

branches 0 or few, ascending.

blades linear-oblong to oblanceolate or elliptic, 7–30 × 1–15 cm, unlobed and spinulose to dentate or shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes well separated, linear to triangular-ovate, dentate to deeply lobed, main spines 2–5 mm, slender, abaxial faces green to gray, thinly to densely arachnoid-tomentose, sometimes glabrate, sometimes villous with septate trichomes along veins, adaxial green, glabrous;

basal sometimes present at flowering, sessile or winged-petiolate;

principal cauline mostly in proximal 1/2, winged-petiolate or sessile, bases narrowed, sometimes auriculate;

distal well separated, progressively reduced, becoming bractlike, often unlobed or less deeply divided than the proximal, sometimes spinier than proximal, bases often distally expanded and auriculate-clasping.

oblong to broadly lanceolate, 20–40 × 4–8 cm, finely spinulose-dentate or proximal cauline pinnatifid, lobes undivided, finely spinulose-dentate, main spines 1–2 mm, abaxial faces white-tomentose (with non-septate trichomes), adaxial glabrous;

basal present at flowering, petiolate, bases tapered;

cauline sessile, reduced distally, bases clasping, not decurrent;

distal (few, well separated), oblong or linear, the uppermost reduced to linear bracts.

(0–)2–15 cm.

2–10(–30) cm (elevated above distal leaves).

ovoid to hemispheric or campanulate, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–3.5 cm, glabrous to arachnoid-floccose.

broadly ovoid, 2–3 × 2–3.5 cm, glabrous or loosely arachnoid.

creamy white to purple, 18–28 mm, tubes 7–12 mm, throats 5–12 mm, lobes 3.5–7 mm, style tips 4–6 mm.

red-purple, 25–30 mm, tubes 10–23 mm, throats 8–14 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 7–10 mm;

style tips 4–5 mm.

in 6–8 series, subequal to strongly imbricate, green, linear to obovate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with inconspicuous glutinous ridge;

outer and middle bases appressed, margins entire to spinulose-dentate or broad, scarious, lacerate-dentate, spines absent or ascending to spreading, 1–2 mm;

apices of inner sometimes flexuous or reflexed, narrow, flat, entire or expanded, scarious, and lacerate-dentate.

in 8–10 series, imbricate, green, ovate or lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with a prominent elongate glutinous ridge, outer and middle tightly appressed, margins entire, apices with ascending, weak spines 0–1 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries attenuate, flat.

few–many, borne singly or in openly branched in corymbiform, racemiform, or paniculiform arrays on main stem and branches, sometimes also in distal axils, not closely subtended by clustered leaf bracts.

borne singly or less commonly 2–5 in terminal clusters.

tan to dark brown, 4.5–5.5 mm, apical collars differentiated or not;

pappi 13–23 mm.

light brown, 3–5 mm, bodies and apical collars concolorous;

pappi 20–30 mm.

= 32.

= 34.