Flora of North America species comparison

1–5+, ascending to erect, glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

1–5+, ascending to erect (thin, grayish brown to dark brown), glabrous proximally, densely canescent distally.

thin, margins entire or sometimes serrate, apices acute to obtuse, faces usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy;

basal usually persistent, petiolate to subpetiolate, blades broadly elliptic to obovate, 30–200 × 8–25(–30) mm, bases attenuate, margins entire or sometimes serrate, apices acute to obtuse;

proximal cauline sessile or subpetiolate, blades elliptic to obovate, 35–120 × 8–25 mm, bases attenuate or cuneate to rounded, sometimes ± clasping, apices acute;

distal sessile, reduced distally, bases cuneate, apices acute.

(silvery) firm, soft;

basal withering by flowering, sessile, blades (1–3 nerved) elliptic-lanceolate, 10–40 × 5–15 mm, bases cuneate, weakly sheathing, margins usually entire, rarely remotely serrate, piloso-ciliate, apices acute, faces less copiously hairy than cauline;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile, blades oblanceolate or oblong to linear-lanceolate, 15–30(–50) × 4–10 mm, slightly and progressively reduced distally, bases rounded, subclasping, margins entire, silky-pilose, apices obtuse to acute, mucronulate, faces sparsely to densely silky-pilose;

distal sessile, blades lanceolate, 10–30 × 5–8 mm, little reduced distally, bases cuneate, margins entire, apices acute, mucronate, faces ± densely silky.

sparsely hairy, bracts 0–3, lanceolate.

subsessile or 0.5–3(–5) cm, densely sericeo-strigose, bracts crowded, 4–8(–10) mm, grading into phyllaries.

campanulate, 6–16(–20) mm.

campanulate to cylindric, (5–)7.5–10 mm.

15–60;

corollas violet to purple, laminae 8–18(–20) × 1–2 mm.

(10–)15–30;

corollas usually rose-purple to deep purple, rarely white, laminae 8.5–11 × 1–1.5 mm.

50–150;

corollas yellow, 4–7 mm, lobes triangular, 0.4–1 mm.

(15–)25–35;

corollas pink turning purple, (5–)5.5–7 mm, tubes shorter than narrowly funnelform throats (both thinly puberulent), lobes deltate, 0.7–0.9 mm.

in 4–6 series, oblanceolate or oblong (outer) to lanceolate or linear (inner), subequal or unequal (outer exceeding inner), bases outer foliaceous, inner indurate, margins entire, green zones elliptic to lanceolate, apices acute to rounded, faces glabrous or puberulent.

in 3–5(–6) series, outer ovate with expanded distal portion [(4–)5–6 mm], mid ovate-lanceolate [6–8(–10) mm] with expanded green portions, inner linear, unequal or sometimes subequal, outer often foliaceous, bases (mid) scarious, margins silky, green zones restricted to expanded distal 1/2–2/3 (obscured by hairs), apices (outer) spreading or squarrose to reflexed, acute, mucronulate, faces densely long-silky.

borne singly or in paniculiform arrays, branches ascending, up to 25 cm.

in open, paniculiform arrays, branches sparse, fastigiate, often arching (1–5+ per branch).

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

pappi white to tawny, 5–8 mm.

purple or brown, obovoid, not compressed, 2–3 mm, 7–10-nerved (prominent), faces glabrous;

pappi whitish or tawny, 6–7 mm.

= 10, 20.