Flora of North America species comparison

1–8+, erect, simple, strict, glabrescent, usually ± densely villous distally.

1–5+, erect, simple, ± flexuous distally (± ridged from decurrent leaf bases), glabrate proximally, sparsely villous distally.

basal and cauline, thick, firm (only midnerves conspicuous), margins entire or nearly so, indurate, scabrous, apices indurate, mucronate, faces scabrous (especially distal) to sometimes glabrous, adaxial sometimes villous (especially proximal) at least along midnerves;

basal often withering by flowering (bases sometimes marcescent), petioles erect, longer than blades, bases sheathing, winged, ciliate, blades narrowly elliptic to ovate or obovate, 20–70 × 8–20 mm, bases cuneate, margins sometimes crenulate-serrulate, teeth mucronate, apices obtuse to rounded;

cauline usually sessile, sometimes subsessile (ascending), lanceolate to oblanceolate, 15–80(–90) × 2.5–12 mm, bases sheathing to auriculate-clasping (distal), apices acute.

basal and cauline (grayish green abaxially), bases often oblique, margins serrate, veins prominent, abaxial faces scabrous, adaxial hirsute;

basal and proximal cauline withering by flowering (rosettes produced in late season, absent in spring), short-petiolate, petioles winged, sheathing, blades ovate-lanceolate, 40–130 × 20–90 mm, bases rounded to subcordate, apices obtuse to acute;

mid short-petiolate, narrowly winged, wings revolute, bases dilated, sheathing, ciliate, blades ovate to lance-ovate, 100–120(–150) × (30–)60–80 mm, gradually reduced distally, bases shallowly cordate or truncate to rounded, margins sharply serrate, teeth mucronate, apices acuminate;

distal (arrays) subpetiolate or sessile, ovate, 8–70 × 4–23 mm, bases sheathing or clasping.

slender, villous;

bracts 1–2, often 1 near heads, leaflike (bases sometimes indurate and white as in phyllaries).

0.5–3(–5) cm, villous;

bracts 0–3.

cylindro-campanulate, 6.5–9 mm, slightly shorter than pappi.

campanulate, 6–8(–10) mm, much shorter than pappi.

(5–)8–14;

corollas blue-violet to rose-purple or bluish, often pale, 5–8(–10) × 1–1.8 mm.

(12–)15–20;

corollas white, sometimes becoming pink or lavender, 12–18 × 1–2.5 mm.

10–20;

corollas pale yellow, 5.5–6.2 mm, not ampliate, tubes longer than narrowly funnelform throats, lobes triangular, 0.65–0.9 mm.

25–35+;

corollas cream or light yellow becoming purple, 6–7(–8) mm, slightly ampliate, tubes cylindric, lengths about twice funnelform throats, lobes erect, lanceolate, 0.8–1.2 mm (glabrous).

24–35 in 4–5 series, oblong (outer) to lanceolate (inner), unequal, coriaceous (outer) to membranous (inner), bases indurate, rounded (outer), margins hyaline, narrowly scarious, ± erose, ciliate (outer), apices reflexed, green (except innermost), purple-margined, less scarious, rounded or obtuse (outer) to acuminate (inner), mucronate, abaxial faces glabrous or obscurely puberulent, eglandular.

ca. 40 in 5 series, oblong (outer) to linear-lanceolate (inner), strongly unequal, membranous, bases indurate and low-keeled or rounded abaxially, green zones in distal 1/4–1/3, obovate, poorly defined, margins hyaline, scarious, villoso-ciliate, inner often purplish, apices appressed, obtuse to rounded, faces villous, eglandular.

3–55+ in flat-topped, corymbiform arrays, branches ascending, slender.

4–32+ in flat-topped, corymbiform arrays.

stramineous, cylindro-obconic, 1.75–2.6 mm, ribs 9–12 (crowded), faces glabrate to strigillose;

pappi of tawny to cinnamon bristles 5.9–6.2 mm, equaling disc corollas.

brown, fusiform, (2.5–)3–3.5(–4) mm, ribs 8–10(–12), crowded, stramineous to tan, faces ± strigillose;

pappi of tawny (apically sometimes clavellate) bristles 6–7 mm, equaling or slightly shorter than disc corollas.

= 18.

= 18.