Flora of North America species comparison

basal;

petiole 0.1–0.5 cm;

blade narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, 0.5–2 × 0.8–2(–2.2) cm, hirsute.

basal;

petiole 0.3–1(–1.5) cm;

blade oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–3(–4) × (0.2–)0.4–1(–1.2) cm, thinly pubescent.

cymose, dichotomously branched throughout, white to greenish or reddish;

bracts usually 2, similar to leaves at proximal nodes only reduced, typically with whorl of 3–5 ca. midstem, short-petiolate, becoming linear and aciculate at distal nodes, acerose, 0.5–2(–3) cm × 10–30(–40) mm, awns absent.

with involucres in open clusters 2–6 cm diam., greenish or reddish;

bracts 2–3 at proximal node, usually leaflike, often with whorl of sessile bracts about midstem, oblanceolate to elliptic, 0.5–1.5 cm × 1–4 mm, gradually becoming reduced, linear-lanceolate, 0.4–1.2(–1.5) cm × 1.5–5 mm, at distal nodes scalelike, linear and aciculate, acerose, awns straight, 1–3 mm.

congested in small bracteated terminal clusters of 2–4 at node of dichotomies, tannish, cylindric, slightly ventricose basally, 3–4 mm, with conspicuous, white, broad, membranous margins typically extending up tooth to awn, finely corrugated, hispid at least along ridges, otherwise sparsely pubescent;

teeth spreading, equal, 1–1.5 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm.

3–10+, greenish or reddish, urceolate, strongly ventricose basally, 4–4.5 mm, without scarious or membranous margins, corrugate, thinly pubescent;

teeth spreading, unequal, 1–3 mm;

awns straight or uncinate with longer anterior one straight, mostly 2 mm, others uncinate, 0.5–1 mm.

exserted;

perianth cream to creamy white or rose, cylindric, 4–4.5(–5) mm, slightly pubescent abaxially;

tepals connate 2/3 their length, monomorphic, obovate, obcordate to 2-lobed apically, sometimes slightly irregular but not distinctly erose;

stamens 9, slightly exserted;

filaments distinct, 4–5 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

exserted;

perianth bicolored with floral tube white to greenish yellow and tepals red to maroon, cylindric, 4–4.5 mm, sparsely pubescent;

tepals connate 1/2 their length, dimorphic, oblong, those of outer whorl spreading and recurved, slightly longer than those of inner whorl, broadly obcordate, slightly erose or at least wavy and rounded apically, those of inner whorl erect, narrower, fimbriate and truncate or somewhat 2-lobed apically, erect;

stamens 9, exserted;

filaments distinct, 3.5–4 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red or maroon, oblong, 1–1.3 mm.

light brown, globose-lenticular, 3.5–4.5 mm.

brown, globose-lenticular, 3–3.5 mm.

= 38, 40, 44.

= 40, 42, 44.