Flora of North America species comparison

usually single, erect, thinly appressed-tomentose, ± glabrate in age;

branches 0–few in distal 1/3, ascending.

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

branches 0–several, inclined to ascending, stiff.

very numerous, firm-textured, blades 3–15 cm, thick, ± rigid, linear or linear-elliptic, 0.5–2 cm wide and spinulose, or narrowly ovate, 2–4 cm wide, deeply lobed, lobes remote, spreading, separated by broad sinuses, few toothed or lobed, margins often revolute, main spines slender, 3–5(–9) mm, abaxial faces white-tomentose, adaxial green, glabrous or thinly tomentose;

basal usually absent at flowering, winged-petiolate;

proximal cauline usually absent at flowering, well separated, winged-petiolate;

middle and distal numerous (30–70+), sessile, well distributed, gradually reduced distally, bases tapered, not decurrent;

distal linear, entire or few lobed, ca. 1 cm.

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.

10–15 cm (not overtopped by distal leaves).

0–7 cm.

ovoid to cylindric or narrowly campanulate, 1.7–2.4 × 1–2 cm, glabrous or outer phyllaries very thinly tomentose.

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

purple, 21–26 mm, tubes 8.5–11 mm, throats 6–8 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 4–8 mm;

style tips 3.5–5 mm.

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

style tips 3–4 mm.

in 8–13 series, strongly imbricate, light green to brownish with dark apices, ovate (outer) to narrowly linear-elliptic (inner), abaxial faces with evident, narrow glutinous ridge;

outer and middle appressed, bodies entire, apices erect or spreading, muticous to short-spinose, spines ascending to spreading, weak, 1–2 mm;

apices of inner all straight and entire or innermost ± flexuous, erose.

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.

1–10+ in open, corymbiform or paniculiform arrays.

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

dark brown, 4–5 mm, apical collars yellowish, 0.5–1;

pappi 17–20 mm.

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

pappi 15–25 mm.

= 28.

= 34.