Flora of North America species comparison

terete, tomentulose or glabrescent;

prickles infrastipular, paired, usually recurved, rarely straight.

ribbed, glabrous or puberulent;

prickles along ribs, recurved.

stipules linear to subulate, 2–4 mm, puberulent;

petiole 0.1–0.7 cm;

primary rachis 0.3–2 cm;

pinnae 2–8 pairs;

leaflets 5–9(–12) pairs, blades obliquely oblong, 2–4 × 0.4–1.3 mm, margins ciliate, reticulate veins slightly visible abaxially, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces puberulent or glabrous abaxially, glabrous adaxially.

stipules linear to filiform, 5–8 mm, puberulent;

petiole 2–5 cm;

primary rachis (3–)5–6 cm;

pinnae 3–5 pairs;

leaflets 11–17 pairs, blades obliquely oblong to elliptic, 4–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm, margins ciliate, reticulate veins prominent abaxially and adaxially, apex acute, mucronate, surfaces glabrous.

17–40-flowered, axillary, globose capitula, solitary or in fascicles of 2 or 3, 8–12 mm diam.;

bracts spatulate, 1/4–1/2 corolla length.

100–180-flowered, axillary, globose capitula, solitary, 20–30 mm diam.;

bracts linear, 3/4 or equal to corolla length.

0.7–1.5 cm.

7–13 cm.

0 mm.

0.2–0.5 mm.

bisexual;

calyx campanulate, lobes 5, (1/3–)1/2–3/4 corolla length;

corolla white or purplish pink on lobes, tomentose or tomentulose, lobes 5, 1/4–1/3 corolla length;

stamens 10, filaments distinct to bases, white;

ovary stipitate, glabrous or pubescent;

style attenuate at apex;

stigma poriform.

bisexual and staminate;

calyx campanulate, lobes 5, 1/9–1/7 corolla length;

corolla purplish pink, glabrous, lobes 5, 1/4–1/3 corolla length;

stamens 10, filaments connate at bases, pink;

ovary stipitate, glabrous;

style attenuate at apex;

stigma tubular.

sessile or stipitate, straight or curved, linear, 25–45 × 3–4 mm, constricted between seeds, valves entire, margin prickly or unarmed, apex acute to acuminate, faces glabrous;

stipe 0.5–1.5 mm.

stipitate, straight, linear-oblong, tetragonal, 20–45 × 8–10 mm, not constricted between seeds, valves entire, 3–6 mm wide, margin 2–4 mm wide, prickly, prickles connate at bases, apex acute, obtuse, or rostrate, rostrum 2–4 mm, faces glabrous;

stipe 1–1.5 mm.

3–8, dark brown, oblong, 3.5–6 × 2–2.7 × 1–1.8 mm, testa smooth or porous, fissural line 40–50%.

5–14, reddish brown, lenticular or rhomboid, 4–4.9 × 3.6–3.9 × 2–2.5 mm, testa porous, fissural line 90%.