Flora of North America species comparison

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

1–5, ascending to erect, sparsely hispid distally.

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.

thin, margins entire to serrate, apices acute, faces scabrous;

basal withering by flowering, petiolate, blades elliptic to obovate 30–300 × 15–50 mm, attenuate, margins entire to serrate, apices acute, faces rough-hispidulous;

proximalmost cauline sometimes withering by flowering, sessile, blades elliptic to obovate, 100–200 × 20–50 mm, bases rounded to ± clasping, sometimes auriculate, apices acute;

distal sessile, blades 20–150 × 10–40 mm, bases cuneate, usually auriculate, apices acute.

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

sparsely hairy, bracts lanceolate to linear.

campanulate, 5–10 mm.

campanulate, 5–8 mm.

18–45;

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

15–40;

corollas violet, laminae 8–15 × 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.

35–60+;

corollas yellow, 3.5–4 mm, lobes triangular, 0.5–0.8 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 4–6 series, narrowly oblong (outer) to linear (inner), unequal to subequal, bases scarious, margins scarious, entire, green zones lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, apices acute, faces glabrate or puberulent.

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

in paniculiform arrays, branches 10–30 cm.

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, cylindric to obovoid, not compressed, 2.5–3.5 mm, 3–4-nerved, faces hairy;

pappi white, 3.5–4 mm.

= 16.

= 16.