Flora of North America species comparison

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

brittle at maturity, usually ± densely hairy, sometimes glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular at least distally.

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.

basal withering by flowering, usually sessile, sometimes subpetiolate, blades usually 3-nerved, spatulate or obovate to oblanceolate, sometimes linear-oblanceolate, margins entire;

cauline sessile, blades ovate or oblong to lanceolate, oblanceolate, or linear, bases rounded or auriculate, clasping or subclasping (leaves sometimes reduced distally).

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.

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

(8–)10–18(–20);

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

7–36(–100) in 1 series;

laminae (2–)4.5–24(–25) × 0.5–2 mm.

6–12(–20);

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

usually weakly ampliate, throats narrowly funnelform, lobes erect.

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.

unequal or subequal, sometimes ± foliaceous, bases usually indurate, green zones usually diamond-shaped, sometimes lanceolate or apices foliaceous (faces usually hairy, sometimes glabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular).

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

radiate.

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.

cylindric to obovoid or oblong, sometimes fusiform, sometimes ± compressed, (5–)6–10-nerved, usually densely strigillose.

= 5, 4.