Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, erect, glabrous to ± tomentose;

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

1–several, spreading to erect, (usually very leafy in distal 1/2), loosely arachnoid, and villous with jointed, multicellular trichomes;

branches 0–few from above middle, 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.

linear to oblong or oblanceolate, 6–16 × 1–3.5 cm, unlobed to sinuate-dentate or shallowly pinnatifid, main spines 1–4 mm, fine, faces ± green, shaggy-villous with septate trichomes, abaxial loosely arachnoid when young;

basal and proximal cauline usually absent at time of flowering;

mid and distal nearly uniform in size or gradually reduced, bases clasping;

distalmost cauline ± bractlike.

slender, 1–15 cm.

0–2 cm.

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

ovoid or cylindric to campanulate, 2–4 × 1.5–4 cm, loosely arachnoid, ± glabrate.

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.

light purple, 33–40 mm, tubes 14–15 mm, throats 12–15 mm, lobes 7–9 mm;

style tips 4.5–6 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 6–9 series, imbricate, lanceolate (outer) to linear (inner), abaxial faces with glutinous ridge, outer and middle tightly appressed, bodies scabrous or spinulose, spines erect or weakly ascending, 1–4 mm;

apices of inner phyllaries long-acuminate, spineless.

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

1–5, in corymbiform arrays.

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

pappi 15–16 mm.

light brown, 3.5–4 mm, apical collars yellowish, ca. 0.8 mm;

pappi 15–30 mm.

= 30.