Biennials or monocarpic perennials, 25–100 cm; sometimes perennating by root sprouts. Stems erect, villous with septate trichomes and sometimes thinly arachnoid tomentose; branches 0–few, distal, ascending. Leaves: blades oblong-elliptic, 5–30+ × 2–10 cm, ± undulate, shallowly to deeply pinnatifid, lobes ovate to broadly triangular, usually separated by broad sinuses, spinose-dentate or lobed, main spines 1.5–7 mm, slender to stout, abaxial faces villous with septate trichomes, at least along veins, sometimes thinly arachnoid, adaxial faces villous with septate trichomes and thinly arachnoid tomentose or subglabrous; basal often present at flowering, bases tapered; principal cauline sessile, moderately reduced distally, bases often auriculate-clasping; distal reduced, similar to proximal. Heads 1–few, borne singly at tips of main stem and branches, often closely subtended by 1–several bracts. Peduncles 0–15+ cm (above distal leaves. , leafy-bracted. Involucres broadly cylindric to ovoid, 3.5–5 cm, 2.5–3 cm diam. (appearing much wider and hemispheric to campanulate in pressed specimens), loosely arachnoid on phyllary margins or glabrate. Phyllaries in 8–10 series, imbricate, ovate or lanceolate (outer) to lance-linear (inner), abaxial faces with ± prominent glutinous ridge, outer and middle appressed, apices ascending to spreading, spines 1.5–6 mm; apices of middle and inner narrowed and scabrid-denticulate, innermost spineless, tapered and entire or with expanded, erose-denticulate, flexuous tips. Corollas pink to purple (white), 40–60 mm, tubes 20–35 mm, throats 11–15 mm, lobes 7–10 mm; style tips 3–7 mm. Cypselae stramineous to brown, 3.5–5 mm, apical collars yellow or colored like body; pappi 35–45 mm. 2n = 30.
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Stout biennial (sometimes short-lived perennial?) 3–8 dm, with 1–several coarse, slightly thickened roots; herbage green and coarsely arachnoid-villous or crisp-hirsute; lvs lobed or pinnatifid, beset with numerous short marginal spines in addition to the scattered longer ones; basal lvs well developed and generally persistent, these and the lower cauline ones 12–25 × 2–7 cm; cauline lvs not especially crowded except sometimes near the base; heads few or solitary, large, the invol 3.5–5 cm, usually some of its bracts with a narrow, glutinous dorsal ridge; middle and outer invol bracts tipped by a short, ± erect spine; inner bracts elongate, with expanded, chartaceous, crisped and erose tip; fls sweet-scented, purple (white); achenes 3–4 mm; 2n=30. Pastures, old fields, and open woods; s. Me. to w. N.Y., s. to Del., Pa., and in the mts. to Va., e. W.Va., and N.C. (C. odoratum)
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