Flora of North America species comparison

1–few, few–many branched distally.

usually 1, erect, ± openly branched distally, loosely tomentose.

basal and proximal cauline petiolate or tapering to base, usually absent at anthesis, blades oblong to oblanceolate, 2–15 cm, margins entire to dentate or pinnately lobed;

cauline long-decurrent, blades linear to oblong or oblanceolate, 1–5 cm, entire or dentate.

± loosely gray-tomentose;

basal leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 3–10 cm, margins entire or with remote linear lobes, apices acute;

cauline linear, usually not much smaller except among heads, usually entire.

ovoid, 10–15 mm, loosely cobwebby-tomentose or becoming glabrous.

campanulate, 12–16 mm.

many;

corollas yellow, those of sterile florets 10–12 mm, slender, inconspicuous, those of fertile florets 10–12 mm.

25–35;

corollas blue (white to purple), those of sterile florets raylike, enlarged, 20–25 mm, those of fertile florets 10–15 mm.

bodies green, ovate (outer) to oblong (inner), tomentose or becoming glabrous, margins and erect appendages white to dark brown or black, scarious, fringed with slender teeth ± 1 mm.

appendages entire, acute or spine-tipped.

disciform, 1–few at branch tips, borne singly or in open leafy corymbiform arrays, sometimes clustered in distal axils, sessile or pedunculate.

radiant, in open, rounded or ± flat-topped cymiform arrays, pedunculate.

dull white or light brown, ca. 2.5 mm, finely hairy;

pappi of many white, unequal, stiff bristles 2.5–3 mm.

stramineous or pale blue, 4–5 mm, finely hairy;

pappi of many unequal stiff bristles, 2–4 mm.

phyllaries: bodies ± stramineous, ovate, appendages purplish, spiny-fringed at base, each tipped by slender spine 5–10 mm.

= 24.

= 24 (Russia).