Flora of North America species comparison

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

5–10+, ascending to erect (brown), glabrous or sparsely strigose distally.

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.

(grayish green) firm, margins entire;

basal withering by flowering, sessile, blades (1–3 nerved) elliptic-lanceolate, 20–40 × 10–20 mm, bases attenuate, margins usually entire, rarely remotely serrate, piloso-ciliate, apices acute to obtuse, faces piloso-scabrous;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile, blades oblanceolate, 20–30 × 5–13 mm, reduced distally, bases rounded, subclasping, margins entire, scrabrous, apices acute to obtuse, cuspidate-mucronate, faces glabrous or moderately strigose or ± scabrous;

distal sessile, blades oblong-lanceolate, 15–25 × 4–6 mm, bases cuneate, margins entire, apices acute, white-spinulose, faces glabrate to moderately strigose or ± scabrous.

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

glabrous or sparsely strigose, bracts oblong-lanceolate, grading into phyllaries.

campanulate to hemispheric, 4–6 mm.

narrowly campanulate, 6–11 mm.

20–35;

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

13–15(–36);

corollas rose-purple, laminae 8–13 × 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.

16–34(–48);

corollas pink turning purple, 4.5–7.5 mm, tubes shorter than narrowly funnelform throats (sometimes thinly puberulent), lobes triangular, 8–13 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, outer broadly lanceolate, flaring distally, inner linear-lanceolate, subequal, outer foliceous, bases (tan) ± indurate, margins long-piloso-ciliate, green zones foliaceous (outer), apices sometimes purplish, acute (outer) to acuminate (inner), faces glabrous or sparsely short-pilose.

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

in open, paniculiform arrays (1–5+ per branch).

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.

tan to light brown, obovoid, not compressed, ± 3 mm, 5–8-nerved, faces glabrous;

pappi tan, 3.5–6 mm.

= 10.

= 10, 20.