Flora of North America species comparison

(1–)3–8, ± decumbent or spreading-ascending, branched proximally and distally, glaucous or glabrous.

1–15 (usually from basal rosettes), usually erect, sometimes ± prostrate, usually branched (scapiform in M. californica), usually glabrous (sometimes piloso-hirsute, stipitate-glandular, or tomentose to arachnose or puberulent, at least proximally or in leaf axils).

usually basal and cauline;

sessile;

blades mostly oblong or lanceolate to obovate, oblanceolate, or spatulate (often pinnately lobed), ultimate margins entire or ± dentate (faces usually glabrous, sometimes piloso-hirsute or tomentose to arachnose or puberulent).

proximal elliptic to oblong-oblanceolate, sometimes pinnately lobed (lobes 2–4+ pairs, oblong to triangular, unequal, apices acute), not fleshy, ultimate margins usually dentate, faces glabrous;

distal reduced (narrowly triangular to linear or filiform, margins dentate or entire).

not inflated distally, usually bracteate.

± campanulate, 7–10 × 5–6+ mm.

usually broadly to narrowly campanulate, sometimes hemispheric, (5–22+ ×) 2–22+ mm diam.

not bristly.

flat to ± convex, pitted or smooth, sometimes bristly, epaleate.

16–88;

corollas yellow (usually with red or purplish abaxial stripes), 6–14 mm;

outer ligules exserted 5–8 mm.

15–270;

corollas yellow or white (sometimes reddish or lavender abaxially; outer ligules exserted 1–15 mm).

13–25+ in 2–3 series, lance-oblong or lanceolate to lance-linear, subequal, hyaline margins 0.05–0.3 mm wide, faces glabrous.

either (without calyculi) 25–80+ in 4–6+ series and orbiculate to oblong, lance-oblong, lanceolate, or linear, unequal, or (with calyculi) 12–25+ in 2–3 series and oblong or lanceolate to linear, subequal;

margins ± hyaline, 0.05–2.5 mm, apices obtuse to acute or acuminate.

of 5–12, ovate to lanceolate bractlets, hyaline margins 0.05–0.2 mm wide.

0 (outer phyllaries intergrading with inner) or of 3–30+, ± deltate or lanceolate to linear or subulate, subequal to unequal bractlets (in 1–2 series distinct from phyllaries, margins usually hyaline, faces usually glabrous, sometimes arachnose, rarely stipitate-glandular).

usually in corymbiform to paniculiform arrays (borne singly in M. californica).

± cylindric, 1.8–2.4 mm (distal 0.3 mm slightly expanded, cupped, smooth), ribs not extending to apices, ± equal;

persistent pappi of 12–15, ± deltate teeth (often hidden within cups at apices of cypselae) plus 1–2 bristles.

(monomorphic) stramineous to brown or purplish brown, ± prismatic or cylindro-fusiform, not beaked, ribs 15 (often 5 more prominent than others, apices of ribs sometimes projecting and forming coronas subtending pappi), usually glabrous (sometimes minutely hirtellous or muriculate);

pappi 0, or (single or double) persistent, whitish, crenate crowns or rings of (1–)8–25+ teeth (mostly 0.05–0.1 mm) plus 0–6, coarse, smooth bristles (setiform scales), all in ± 1 series, subtending (i.e., exterior to) the readily falling, inner (or single and only) pappi of 15–35, basally coherent, white, fine, smooth to barbellulate or (proximally) ± plumose bristles in 1 series (falling all together or in groups).

70–100% 3-porate.

= 7, 9.

= 14.