Flora of North America species comparison

1–several, spreading to erect, bushlike or forming low rounded mounds, gray-tomentose with appressed feltlike trichomes;

branches 0–several, inclined to ascending, stiff.

1–many, erect or ascending, branches few–many, ascending, villous with septate trichomes.

blades elliptic to ovate, 10–25 cm, strongly undulate, usually broadly pinnatifid, lobes entire or coarsely few-toothed or -lobed, main spines abrupt, 1–4 mm, faces gray-white-tomentose with appressed feltlike, non-septate trichomes;

basal present or withered at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline well distributed, winged-petiolate to sessile, gradually reduced, bases clasping with expanded auricles;

distal reduced, spines to 8 mm.

blades oblong-lanceolate to obovate, 15–40 × 6–15 cm, margins plane or revolute, coarsely 1–2-pinnatifid with rigidly divergent lobes, sometimes merely spinose-dentate, lobes triangular to lanceolate, entire to spiny-dentate, main spines 2–10 mm, abaxial faces gray-tomentose, villous with septate trichomes along veins, adaxial green, covered with short appressed bristlelike spines, sometimes tomentose when young;

basal present or absent at flowering, petioles winged, bases tapered;

principal cauline winged-petiolate, mid and distal becoming sessile, well distributed or not, progressively reduced distally, at least distal decurrent as long spiny wings;

distal cauline often more deeply lobed than proximal, main lobes rigidly spiny, margins spinulose, otherwise entire.

0–7 cm.

1–6 cm.

hemispheric or campanulate, 3–4 × 4–6 cm, densely arachnoid.

hemispheric to campanulate, 3–4 × 2–4 cm, loosely arachnoid-tomentose.

white to pale yellow, 20–34 mm, tubes 11–15 mm, throats 5–8 mm, lobes 5–8 mm;

style tips 3–4 mm.

purple (rarely white), 25–35 mm, tubes 18–25 mm, throats 5–6 mm, lobes 5–7 mm;

style tips 3.5–6 mm.

in 8–10 series, imbricate, linear, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge;

outer and mid bases short- appressed, margins spiny-ciliate, apices long, spreading to erect, spines straight, 2–5 mm;

apices of inner flattened or spine-tipped, serrate to scabrid, sometimes pectinately fringed.

in 10–12 series, strongly imbricate, linear-lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), outer and middle appressed, (bases stramineous), margins entire, abaxial faces without glutinous ridge, apices radiating, greenish, spines 2–5 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries flat, serrulate to minutely erose.

1–many, erect, terminal on branches in subcapitate to congested, corymbiform arrays, closely subtended by clustered, ± leafy bracts.

few–many in corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

light–brown to black, 5–7 mm, apical collars whitish, 0.2–0.3 mm;

pappi 15–25 mm.

light brown with darker streaks, 3–4.5 mm, apical collar not differentiated;

pappi 20–30 mm.

= 34.

= 68.