Drummondii: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF) and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this species.  

	plants without creeping rootstocks; NOT [plants from deep creeping rootstocks]
	upper surface of leaves NOT scabrous; NOT [upper surface of leaves scabrous with appressed spines]
	male and female florets on the same plant or flower head; NOT [male and female flowers on separate plants]
	heads 5-7 cm high; NOT [heads smaller, less than 5 cm high]
	involucres more than 2 cm high; NOT [involucres 1-2 cm high]
	involucres usually more than 12 mm wide; NOT [involucres rarely over 12 mm wide]
	inner bracts of involucre with loose, twisted, and spineless tips; NOT [inner bracts of involucre without loose, twisted, and spineless tips]
	pappus of mature fruit shorter than corolla; NOT [pappus of mature fruit longer than corolla]

Cirsium: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF) and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this genus. 

	juice watery; NOT [juice milky]
	leaves with spiny margins
	bracts of involucre NOT dry or parchmenty, usually green
	some bracts spiny tipped; NOT [involucral bracts with hooked bristles]
	receptacle densely bristly; NOT [receptacle naked]
	flower heads with all florets tubular; NOT [flower heads with florets both tubular and ligulate]; NOT [flower heads with all florets ligulate]
	stamens united to form a tube around the pistil
	pappus of capillary bristles; NOT [pappus of scales, or of awns, or a crown or none]
	pappus hairs much longer than achene
	pappus bristles plumose; NOT [pappus bristles naked or merely minutely barbellate or merely roughened]