Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1, erect, branched distally or throughout, setose or hispid to pilose, or glabrous.

blades of basal 5–35+ × 1–8(–12+) cm;

cauline similar, smaller, narrower, distal mostly linear.

basal and cauline; usually sessile;

basal blades oblanceolate to lance-linear, margins usually runcinate-pinnate to dentate, rarely entire;

cauline similar, smaller, margins dentate or entire.

mostly 0–2 mm, some narrowly clavate, 12–45(–85+) mm.

(dimorphic: most 0–2 mm, some 12–85+ mm): the longer often slightly inflated distally, not bracteate.

± cylindric, 3–5+ mm diam.

flat, pitted, ± hispid, usually epaleate.

8–25+;

corollas usually blue [purple], sometimes pink or white.

outer 5–6 lance-ovate to lanceolate, 4–7 mm, basally cartilaginous, distally herbaceous, inner 8+ lance-linear to linear, 6–12 mm, herbaceous, all usually with some gland-tipped hairs 0.5–0.8 mm on margins near bases or on abaxial faces toward tips.

10–15+ in 2+ series, lance-ovate to lanceolate or linear, unequal, margins little, if at all, scarious, apices obtuse to acute.

0 (or interpreted as outer phyllaries).

mostly in glomerules (axillary and nearly sessile), some borne singly (on ± elongate peduncles).

2–3 mm;

pappi 0.01–0.2 mm.

brownish, ± prismatic (3–5-angled), not beaked, faces smooth, glabrous;

pappi persistent, coroniform (of 40–60+, whitish, subequal, erose scales in 1–2 series).

= 9.

= 18.