Flora of North America species comparison

1–5+, erect (light brown to grayish brown), densely hispidulo-hirsute.

1–10+, decumbent to ascending or erect (grayish brown, slender), sparsely strigoso-hispid, ± scabrous.

light green, thin to firm;

basal withering by flowering, sessile, blades oblanceolate, 10–40 × 3–10 mm, attenuate, margins usually entire, rarely remotely serrate, piloso-ciliate, apices obtuse, rounded to mucronulate, faces sparsely to moderately strigose;

proximal cauline sometimes persistent by flowering, sessile, blades linear or oblong to elliptic-oblanceolate, 40–60 × 3–10 mm, bases rounded or slightly clasping, margins entire, scabrous, apices acute to obtuse, faces ± copiously hirsute;

distal sessile, blades oblanceolate, 15–45 × 2–3(–4.5) mm, progressively reduced distally, bases cuneate, margins entire, apices acute, white-spine-tipped, faces sparsely strigose.

(dark bright green) firm, much reduced distally, margins entire, apices acute, mucronate, faces usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely strigoso-hispid;

basal withering by flowering (new vernal rosettes often present), sessile, blades (1–3-nerved) linear-oblanceolate, 20–40 × 5–30 mm, bases attenuate, margins scabro-ciliate;

proximal cauline sometimes persistent, sessile, blades linear to linear-lanceolate, 10–40 × 5–20 mm, bases sometimes subclasping, margins entire, scabrous;

distal sessile, blades linear to linear-lanceolate, 20–40 × 2–3 mm, bases cuneate, margins entire, coarsely cililate-spinulose, apices acute, white-spinulose, faces sometimes stipitate-glandular.

hispid, bracts 1–3+, oblong-lanceolate, 3–5 mm, not grading into phyllaries.

sparsely hispido-strigose, ± densely stipitate-glandular, bracts ± ascending, linear to lance-oblong, grading into phyllaries.

campanulate to hemispheric, 4–6 mm.

campanulate, 4–7 mm.

20–35;

corollas azure blue to violet or lavender, laminae 5–10 × 0.6–1.2 mm.

10–20;

corollas light to dark lavender to purple, laminae 5–10 × 1–2 mm.

20–30+;

corollas light yellow turning pinkish to purple, 3–4 mm, tubes ca. 1/2 narrowly funnelform throats, lobes triangular, 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous.

(7–)10–30;

corollas yellow becoming reddish purple, 3.5–5 mm, throats narrowly funnelform, lobes narrowly triangular, 0.4–0.7 mm.

in 3–5 series, linear-lanceolate, ± unequal to subequal, bases ± indurate, margins hyaline proximally, outer distally hispido-scabrous, green zones diamond-shaped, restricted to distal 1/2–1/4, apices (outer) spreading to reflexed, acute, subspinulose, (inner) acuminate, purplish, faces (outer) scabroso-puberulent or strigose, eglandular, inner distally stipitate-glandular.

in 3–4 series, lanceolate, unequal, bases ± indurate, margins narrowly to widely scarious, hyaline except apically, sometimes ciliolate, often stipitate-glandular, green zones lanceolate to diamond-shaped, covering distal portion (outer), apices acuminate, spreading to reflexed, faces glabrous, moderately to densely short-stipitate-glandular.

in ample, leafy, paniculiform arrays, branches ascending, sometimes secund (heads often crowded).

in ± narrowly racemiform to paniculiform arrays, branches sometimes initially patent, then spreading to ascending.

dull purple or brown, obovoid, not compressed, 1.5–2 mm, 7–9-nerved, faces densely sericeous;

pappi tan to tawny, sometimes rose to violet-tinged, 3.5–5.5 mm.

brown (nerves stramineous), obovoid, ± compressed, 1.5–2.5 mm, 7–10-nerved, faces moderately strigillose;

pappi cinnamon to sordid, sometimes purplish-tinged, 4.5–5 mm.

= 10.

= 10.