Flora of North America species comparison

1–5+, erect or ascending (straight, often stout), proximally usually ± densely hirtellous, sometimes glabrescent, distally hirsute.

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

thick, firm, margins (slightly undulate) scabrous, adaxial faces glabrous or strigose, scabrous, adaxial ± sparsely hirsute to scabro-hirtellous, sometimes ± scabrous (cauline sometimes with tufts of smaller leaves in axils);

basal withering by flowering, petiolate (petioles sometimes narrowly winged), blades oblong-ovate to lanceolate, 10–40 × 10–20 mm, bases deeply cordate, margins sparsely serrate to serrulate, apices usually acute, sometimes obtuse to rounded;

proximal cauline usually withering by flowering, petiolate (petioles slender to ± winged), blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, 40–90 × (15–) 25–50 mm, bases shallowly cordate or rounded to attenuate, rarely truncate, margins subentire or entire (rarely serrulate), apices acute or acuminate, with short callus point;

distal subpetiolate or sessile, blades ovate to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 10–70 × 1–10 mm, gradually or abruptly reduced distally, bases attenuate to cuneate, margins entire, apices acute to acuminate.

(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.

densely bracteate, 0.3–5(–10) cm (rarely subsesssile), bracts numerous, linear, 2–6 mm, mucronulate, grading into phyllaries.

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

campanulate, 5–10 mm.

campanulate, 4–7 mm.

18–45;

corollas usually bright lavender-blue to purple, seldom white, laminae 9–15(–18) × 1–3.2 mm.

10–20;

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

33–40+;

corollas cream or light yellow turning pinkish purple, (4–)4.5–5.5 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes sometimes ± spreading, triangular to lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 mm.

(7–)10–30;

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

in 4–6 series, oblong-lanceolate (outer) to oblanceolate-linear (innermost), unequal, bases indurate (appressed), margins ciliate to scabro-ciliate, green zones diamond-shaped to lanceolate, ± foliaceous distally, apices reflexed to squarrose, long-acuminate, apiculate, often purple, faces strigoso-hirtellous.

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 open, diffuse, paniculiform arrays, branches divaricate, stout, long, densely bracteate.

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

deep purple to purplish brown or brown with purple speckles (nerves stramineous), oblong-obovoid, compressed, (1–)2.5–3.5(–3.8) mm, 5–6-nerved, faces glabrous;

pappi tawny or rose-tinged, 3.7–5.2 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.

= 16.

= 10.