Flora of North America species comparison

erect or strongly ascending, leafy mostly in proximal 2/3 of plant, openly forked distally, 5–12 dm, pubescent basally with minute curved hairs in 2 lines, spreading glandular-pilose distally.

erect, few, moderately leafy mostly in proximal 2/3, few branched, 7–15 dm, glabrous basally, glabrous or sparsely glandular-puberulent distally.

ascending at 10–60°, progressively reduced toward infloresence;

petiole 0.8–3 cm;

blade bright green, narrowly triangular-ovate to ovate, 3–10 × 0.8–4 cm, ± thin, base acute, obtuse, truncate, or cordate, apex acute to attenuate, or obtuse, often rounded at tip, surfaces glabrous or rarely puberulent.

ascending at 30–70°, progressively reduced toward inflorescence;

petiole 0.3–2 cm;

blade green, lanceolate to lance-ovate, 3–12 × 1–5 cm, thick and moderately succulent, base broadly obtuse to cuneate, apex acute or tapered to rounded tip, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

axillary and terminal, few branched, ± evenly forked and open;

peduncle 2–9 mm, spreading glandular-villous, crosswalls of hairs dark purple or black;

involucres blushed with dark violet or black, at least in median region, widely bell-shaped, 3–6 mm in flower, 4–7 mm in fruit, spreading viscid-villous, 40–50% connate, lobes oblong to ovate, apex broadly acute.

terminal and in upper axils, open, widely branched from main axis;

peduncle 5–10 mm, glabrate or sparsely puberulent or spreading viscid-villous, crosswalls of hairs pale;

involucres pale green, widely bell-shaped, 4–5 mm in flower, 7–10 mm in fruit, glabrous (except, often, margins) or very sparsely puberulent or villous, 70–80% connate, lobes broadly ovate, rounded.

3 per involucre;

perianth bright purple-pink, 0.9–1.2 cm.

3 per involucre;

perianth pink to reddish purple, rarely white, 0.8–1 cm.

dark grayish to blackish brown, sometimes dark, dull, reddish brown, narrowly obovoid, 3–4 mm, spreading-pilose, hairs often apearing loosely shaggy and somewhat tufted, (0.1–)0.2–0.3 mm;

ribs ± same color as sulci, low and round, 0.7–1 times width of sulci, 0.5 times as wide as high, slightly rugose or warty;

sulci almost smooth to slightly rugose or with very low tubercules.

brown to grayish or purplish brown, narrowly obovate, 4–5.3 mm, very sparsely pubescent with hairs 0.1–0.5 mm;

ribs round-angular, 0.3 times width of sulci, 0.5–1 times as wide as high, smooth on angle, usually rugose on sides, occasionally interrupted and tuberculate;

sulci with low tubercules, often also with transverse wrinkles.