Flora of North America species comparison

1–20+, erect (stout), conspicuously spreading-hirsute, at least distally.

basal and proximal cauline usually withering by flowering except on new shoots, tapering to broadly winged petioles, blades oblanceolate, 30–50 × 8–15 mm, rapidly increasing in size distally, margins shallowly serrate, scabroso-strigose, faces often more densely hairy than distal;

mid to distal cauline numerous, crowded, sessile, blades lanceolate-ovate to elliptic-oblong, larger ones 35–120 × 8–35 mm, much reduced distally, bases broad and ± clasping, margins obscurely serrulate or entire, faces usually moderately hirsuto-villous on midnerves, often less so abaxially, adaxial sparsely strigose or glabrous.

basal (rosettes) usually withering by flowering;

petiole bases or vasculature not persisting on rhizomes;

proximalmost cauline petiolate, sometimes present at flowering;

proximal and distal sometimes 3-nerved.

2–8 mm, sparsely to moderately strigillose;

bracteoles 1–3, linear to linear-lanceolate, tending to group proximal to involucres, sometimes grading into phyllaries.

narrowly campanulate, 3.5–5.5 mm.

(2–)4–10;

laminae 1.2–2.5 × 0.2–0.5 mm.

(2–)4–7;

corollas 4–5 mm, lobes 0.5–1 mm.

in 4–5 series, unequal, glabrous;

outer narrowly ovate-lanceolate, mid and inner linear-lanceolate.

1-nerved, usually not striate (3–5-nerved and striate in S. glomerata, S. lancifolia, S. roanensis) sometimes minutely stipitate-glandular, sometimes resinous.

35–500, in paniculiform arrays, usually dense, branches recurved-secund.

in ± paniculiform or thyrsiform arrays (wand-, club-, or secund cone-shaped) or in axillary clusters, sometimes in rounded corymbiform arrays.

(narrowly obconic) 1.5–1.8 mm, sparsely strigillose, sometimes only apically;

pappi 3–4 mm.

bristles in 2–3 series (shorter, outer setiform scales rarely present, outer, longer bristles apically attenuate, inner bristles longest, weakly to strongly clavate).

= 18.