Flora of North America species comparison

basal or nearly so;

petiole 1–4(–7) cm;

blade oblanceolate, 1.5–5 × 0.2–0.7(–1) cm, villous.

with secondary branches not suppressed except in terminal clusters of involucres, green to reddish;

bracts 2, similar to proximal leaf blades only reduced, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 1–5 cm × 2–5(–7) mm, awns absent.

1, greenish, cylindric, not ventricose, 2.5–4 mm, with white to pinkish, thin scarious margins restricted to basal portion of teeth, not corrugate, thinly pubescent abaxially;

teeth spreading, equal, 0.3–0.8(–1) mm;

awns uncinate with longer ones 0.7–1.3 mm and anterior one mostly 1–1.3 mm, these alternating with shorter (0.3–0.7 mm) ones.

slightly exserted;

perianth bicolored with floral tube white and tepals white to rose, cylindric, 2.5–4 mm, pubescent abaxially;

tepals connate 1/4 their length, monomorphic, oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, usually truncate to rounded and erose or denticulate apically, occasionally distinctly cuspidate;

stamens 9, included;

filaments distinct, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red or maroon, oblong, 0.6–0.8 mm.

light brown, globose-lenticular, 3.5–4 mm.