Flora of North America species comparison

1–3+, ascending to erect (grayish brown to brown), sparsely to densely hispido-strigose, sometimes glabrescent proximally.

1–3+, erect (straight, stout), glabrous.

usually all except rameal withered by flowering, (light grayish green) firm apices ± white-spine-tipped (often with clusters of smaller leaves in axils);

basal sessile, blades (3-nerved) oblanceolate to oblong or spatulate, 10–50 × 10–25 mm, bases attenuate, margins usually entire, rarely remotely serrate, scabrous, apices rounded to obtuse, faces usually sparsely hairy, often glabrous;

proximal cauline sessile, blades (1- or 3-nerved) linear to lanceolate or oblong, 10–40(–60) × 1.5–4(–7) mm, reduced distally, bases cuneate, coarsely ciliate, margins entire, coarsely ciliate, apices acute or obtuse, faces moderately to densely strigose or hirsute;

distal sessile, blades oblong-ovate, 10–40 × 1.5–3.5 mm, abruptly reduced distally, bases cuneate, margins entire, apices acute, faces moderately to densely strigose.

firm, margins serrulate to serrate, distally entire, ± revolute, scabrous, apices mucronate, abaxial faces glabrous or glabrate, adaxial scabrous, cauline often with axillary tufts of leaves;

basal withering by flowering, petiolate (petioles slightly winged, ciliate, sheathing), blades ovate or elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 15–120 × 15–35 mm, bases gradually to ± abruptly attenuate, margins crenate-serrate, apices obtuse to acute;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, petiolate to subpetiolate (clasping), blades elliptic to lanceolate, 85–100 × 18–30 mm, bases cuneate to slightly attenuate, apices acute to acuminate;

distal sessile, blades elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate, or lance-oblong to linear-lanceolate (arrays), 8–90 × 1–25 mm, progressively reduced distally, abruptly so in arrays, bases cuneate, margins entire, apices acute to acuminate.

0.5–1(–2) cm or subsessile, densely hairy, bracts dense, linear to narrowly lanceolate, usually reflexed, sometime appressed to ascending, 1.5–5(–6) mm, densely hairy, grading into phyllaries.

0.4–3 cm, secund, glabrous, bracts 5–10, not crowded, linear to linear-lanceolate, spreading, foliaceous, grading into phyllaries.

cylindric to campanulate, 2.5–4.5(–5) mm.

hemispheric, (4–)5–6.5 mm.

(8–)10–18(–20);

corollas usually white, rarely pink or bluish, laminae 6–12(–20) × 0.7–1.2 mm.

(20–)27–36;

corollas usually white to bluish or lavender-white, rarely pale lavender or lavender-pink, laminae 8–11 × 1–1.5 mm.

6–12(–20);

corollas yellow becoming brown, 2.5–4 mm, throats narrowly funnelform, lobes triangular, 0.5–0.6 mm, glabrous.

25–31;

corollas yellow turning reddish then brown, (4.1–)4.5–5.8 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes recurved to erect, lanceolate, 1.1–1.3 mm.

in 3–4 series, oblanceolate to ± spatulate, unequal, firm, bases (whitish to tan) ± indurate in proximal 1/2–2/3, margins hyaline, scabrous proximally, green zones diamond-shaped, in distal 1/2, apices spine-tipped, (outer) spreading to reflexed or squarrose, faces (outer) sparsely to densely hispid, scabroso-hirsute adaxially, (inner) glabrous.

in 5–6 series, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate (some inner linear), unequal, bases indurate 1/3–2/3, margins scarious, erose, hyaline, sparsely ciliolate, green zones lanceolate, prominent, apices acute (acuminate), slightly spreading, faces glabrous.

(1–200+) in paniculiform arrays, branches fastigiate or arrays often pyramidal, racemiform, secund, crowded.

in leafy, open, paniculiform arrays, branches ascending to divaricate, nearly horizontal, elongate (to 38 cm), secund-racemiform.

deep purple turning brown, obovoid to oblong-obovoid, ± falcate, not compressed, 1.2–2 × 0.4–0.6 mm, 7–9-nerved (faint), faces sericeous or densely strigillose;

pappi whitish, 3–4 mm.

tan to reddish brown, obovoid to fusiform-obovoid, ± compressed, 1.4–2.9 mm, 4–5-nerved, faces strigillose;

pappi white (sordid), 4.5–5.8 mm.

= 48.