Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, erect, glabrous to ± tomentose;

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

usually single, erect, glabrous to ± tomentose, sometimes sparsely villous with septate trichomes;

branches few, usually distal, ascending.

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.

blades linear to oblanceolate or elliptic, 10–30 × 1–5 cm, unlobed and spinulose to irregularly dentate or pinnatifid, lobes narrowly to broadly triangular, sometimes coarsely toothed or lobed toward base, acuminate, main spines slender, 1–5 mm, abaxial faces gray-tomentose, adaxial glabrous or sparsely villous with septate trichomes;

basal often present at flowering, petioles slender, winged, bases long-tapered;

principal cauline relatively few (10–25), petiolate or distal sessile, mostly restricted to proximal 1/2 of stems, progressively reduced distally, bases tapered, not decurrent;

distal cauline widely separated, linear to narrowly elliptic, reduced, becoming ± bractlike, merely spinulose to irregularly dentate or shallowly lobed.

slender, 1–15 cm.

slender, 1–15 cm (not overtopped by distal leaves).

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

narrowly ovoid to campanulate, 1.2–2 × 1.2–2 cm, thinly arachnoid-ciliate.

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.

pink-purple (white), 15–20 mm, tubes 5–9 mm, throats 5–7 mm (noticeably wider than tubes), lobes 4–5 mm;

style tips 4 mm.

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.

in 7–10 series, imbricate, green, linear to lanceolate (outer) or linear to linear-lanceolate (inner), abaxial faces with narrow, glutinous ridge;

outer and middle ascending to appressed, bodies entire, apices widely spreading (at least the outer), spines ascending to spreading (at least the outer), slender, 1–4 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries flat, often twisted, acuminate.

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

(1–)2–9(–many), in paniculiform arrays.

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

pappi 15–16 mm.

light brown, 3–4 mm, apical collars yellowish, 0.5–1 mm;

pappi 12–14 mm.

= 20, 22.