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.

basal;

petiole 0.5–3(–5) cm;

blade elliptic to obovate or spatulate, 1–3(–3.5) × 0.2–1(–2.5) cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, sparsely tomentose abaxially.

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.

open, reddish;

bracts 3 at proximal node, otherwise 2, sessile, scalelike, linear, acicular, often acerose, 0.1–0.5 cm × 0.5–1 mm, awns straight, 1–2 mm.

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.

1(–5+), reddish or greenish, cylindric, not ventricose, 4–6(–7) mm, finely corrugate, with thin hyaline margins between teeth, sparsely to densely pubescent;

teeth divergent, unequal, 3 longer ones 1–3 mm, alternating with 3 shorter ones 0.3–1 mm;

awns straight, unequal, 3 longer ones 1–2.5(–3) mm, shorter one (0.3–)0.5–1.5 mm.

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.

exserted;

perianth bicolored, with floral tube yellow to yellowish white and tepals white to rose, becoming dark rose to red with age, cylindric, 6–9(–10) mm, glabrous abaxially except for few to several scattered hairs ca. midlength along midribs;

tepals connate 1/2 their length, monomorphic, oblong, fimbriate to laciniate apically;

stamens 9, included;

filaments distinct, 3–8 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5–0.7 mm.

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

brown, lenticular, 3–4 mm.