Flora of North America species comparison

1–several, erect or ascending, thinly gray-tomentose or ± glabrate;

branches few to many, ascending.

usually 1, erect, glabrous to ± tomentose;

branches many, usually restricted to distal part of stem, ascending.

blades elliptic to oblong, 8–40 × 1–12 cm, margins weakly to strongly undulate, spinose-dentate or shallowly to deeply lobed, lobes ascending to spreading, ± triangular, mostly well separated, spinulose and coarsely dentate or cleft into 2–3 lanceolate to triangular, often entire-margined, spine-tipped divisions, main spines 2.5–7+ mm, abaxial faces densely gray-tomentose, adaxial thinly tomentose;

basal sometimes present at flowering, winged-petiolate;

principal cauline becoming sessile and progressively reduced distally, widest at bases, bases ± auriculate-clasping to short-decurrent;

distal cauline reduced, often spinier.

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.

slender, 1–15 cm.

ovoid to hemispheric or broadly campanulate, 2–3 × 1.7–3.5 cm, loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate.

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

white to lavender or pink-purple, 23–30 mm, tubes 9–14 mm, throats 5.5–10.5 mm, lobes 5.5–9.5 mm;

style tips 4–7 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 6–10 series, imbricate, ovate to lanceolate (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), margins entire, abaxial faces with prominent glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, spines spreading, slender to stout, 2–6 mm;

apices of inner often flexuous, narrow, flat, ± entire, spineless or tipped with weak spines.

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–many, terminal on branches and often in leaf axils, in leafy, ± corymbiform arrays.

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

light to dark brown, 6–7 mm, apical collars colored like body or rarely yellowish, narrow;

pappi 20–23 mm, usually noticeably shorter than corolla.

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

pappi 15–16 mm.

= 24.