Flora of North America species comparison

sparsely to densely glandular.

arising directly from the root, erect to spreading, slender, solid, not fistulose or disarticulating into ringlike segments, sparsely to densely glandular.

blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, 1–4.5 × 0.1–0.7 cm, densely hirsute, sparsely glandular.

persistent through anthesis or quickly deciduous, essentially basal, rosulate;

petiole indistinct;

blade linear to spatulate, margins entire.

open to diffuse, 0.5–4 dm;

bracts (2–)3(–4) at first node, otherwise 2–3 and distinct or basally connate, linear to subulate or triangular, 1–18 × 0.5–4 mm, scalelike or sometimes leaflike, hirsute and glandular;

awns 0.2–0.5 mm, often absent at distal nodes.

terminal, cymose;

branches mostly dichotomous, not brittle or disarticulating into segments, round, glabrous or sparsely glandular;

bracts 3–5, distinct or connate basally, opposite and linear to narrowly triangular, positioned to side of node, 3-lobed and broadly triangular, or forming a perfoliate disk, leaflike to scalelike, awned, occasionally glandular, glabrous to pubescent.

occasionally absent at distal nodes, erect or deflexed, slender, 0.5–1.5 cm.

present or absent, erect or deflexed, slender or stout.

1–2 mm, typically glabrous, rarely with few scattered hairs abaxially;

teeth (3–)4;

awns grayish, 0.5–3 mm.

1 per node, not ribbed, tubular, narrowly turbinate;

teeth (3–)4, erect to spreading, awn-tipped.

2–6;

perianth white to pink, 1–2 mm, glabrous or strigose and sparsely glandular abaxially;

tepals dimorphic, margins essentially entire, those of outer whorl elliptic to ovate and pubescent adaxially, those of inner whorl elliptic or oblong to narrowly ovate and glabrous or sometimes strigose adaxially proximally;

filaments 0.5–1.5 mm, glabrous;

anthers cream to red, oval, 0.2–0.3 mm.

2–10 per involucre at any single time during full anthesis;

perianth white to rose or greenish yellow, broadly campanulate when open, narrowly urceolate when closed, glabrous or pubescent abaxially;

tepals 6, connate 1/4–1/3 their length, monomorphic or dimorphic, entire apically;

stamens 9;

filaments basally adnate, glabrous or minutely papillate basally;

anthers cream to pink or red, ellipsoid to oval.

yellow-brown to maroon, 2–2.5 mm.

usually included, light to dark brown or maroon, not winged, globose-lenticular, glabrous.

embryo curved.

= 20.

= 40.