Flora of North America species comparison

1–5+, ascending to erect (± arching, slender, brittle), ± densely pilose or villous to glabrate or glabrous (particularly proximally).

1–5+, erect (straight to distally flexuous, stout 5–11 mm diam., usually reddish purple), usually densely to sparsely hirsute or hispid, glabrescent, often proximally glabrate, sometimes glabrate.

thin, membranous, margins serrate to serrulate, scabridulous, apices acute to acuminate, sometimes caudate, mucronulate, abaxial faces glabrous, midveins usually ± densely pilose to glabrate, rarely glabrous, adaxial scabrous (short-strigose) to glabrate;

basal usually withering by flowering, sometimes persisting (new vernal rosettes often developing at flowering), petiolate to subpetiolate (petioles narrowly to ± broadly winged, ciliate, bases ± sheathing), blades oblanceolate, lance-ovate or ovate to spatulate or suborbiculate, 5–35 × 7–25 mm, abruptly attenuate, margins crenate-serrate, apices obtuse to rounded or acute;

proximal cauline mostly withering by flowering, sessile or subpetiolate (petioles broadly winged), blades usually ovate or elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate or lanceolate, rarely linear-lanceolate, (30–)50–100(–150) × (2–)10–20(–35) mm, greatly reduced distally, bases attenuate to cuneate;

distal sessile, blades ovate, lance-ovate, lance-elliptic, or oblanceolate to lance-linear or linear, 10–150 × 1–30 mm, progressively reduced distally, branch leaves abruptly smaller, bases cuneate, margins sometimes entire.

(dark green, not crowded) thin, margins remotely serrate to sometimes entire, scabrous, apices acute or acuminate to subcaudate, mucronate, abaxial faces glabrate, ± densely pilose along midveins, adaxial glabrate to scabrous;

basal withering by flowering, subpetiolate to petiolate (petioles ± winged, bases dilated, sheathing), blades spatulate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, 30–10+ × 3–20+ mm, bases attenuate to cuneate, margins remotely crenate-serrate to denticulate or entire, apices acute or acuminate to rounded;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, petiolate to subpetiolate (petioles widely winged, bases auriculate, clasping), blades lanceolate or oblanceolate to oblong, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, (55–)70–200(–220) × 10–40 mm, usually progressively lengthened to mid, bases ± attenuate to cuneate or auriculate and clasping;

distal sessile, blades oblanceolate or lanceolate to oblong or elliptic-oblong (sometimes nearly panduriform), 8–160 × 1–40 mm, progressively reduced distally, strongly so and linear in arrays, bases ± strongly auriculate, clasping, margins subentire or entire.

0.2–3+ cm, ± hispid or hirsute to villous, bracts 0–3, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate to linear, distal often subtending heads.

cylindro-campanulate, (3.5–)4–6(–7) mm.

campanulate, (6–)8–12(–15) mm.

8–15(–23);

corollas white, rarely pinkish or purplish, laminae (3–)4–5(–8) × 0.9–1.2 mm.

20–50(–60);

corollas usually pale to dark blue, lavender or purple, seldom white or pink, laminae (7–)12–18(–21) × (0.9–)1.4–1.8 mm.

8–16(–20);

corollas cream to light yellow turning pink or reddish purple, (2.5–)3–5 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform-campanulate throats, lobes strongly reflexed, lanceolate, 0.9–1.7 mm.

30–50 (–90);

corollas yellow or cream becoming pink or purple, (4.1–)5–6.5 mm, tubes shorter than cylindro-funnelform limbs, lobes triangular, 0.4–1.1 mm.

in 3–4(–6) series, appressed or slightly spreading, oblong-lanceolate or -oblanceoalte (outer) to linear (inner), unequal, bases indurate 1/3–2/3, margins scarious, erose, hyaline or sometimes reddish, ± ciliolate, green zones lanceolate to ± diamond-shaped, apices (outer) acute, callus-pointed, (mid) acute to acuminate, or obtuse, sometimes purplish, abaxial faces glabrous (outer), mid sparsely puberulent.

in 4–6 series, oblanceolate-spatulate to linear, subequal, bases indurate 1/5–1/2, margins not scarious (outer) to narrowly scarious, erose, hyaline, sparsely ciliolate, green zones linear-lanceolate, outer sometimes ± foliaceous, to linear (inner), apices ± spreading at tip when foliaceous, long-acuminate to caudate, mucronate to apiculate, sometimes purplish tinged, faces glabrous or ± hispid.

in ample, open, diffuse, ± pyramidal, paniculiform arrays, branches divaricate to long-arching or ± ascending, slender, wiry, secund; usually sessile, sometimes peduncles 0.1–1 cm+, ± pilose, bracts 1–7, linear or subulate to oblong-lanceolate, foliaceous, grading into phyllaries.

in open, paniculiform (often corymbiform-looking) arrays, branches widely spreading to ascending, sparsely to moderately leafy with ± large leaves.

gray or tan, oblong-obovoid, sometimes ± compressed, (1.3–)1.8–2.2 mm, 3–5-nerved, faces sparsely strigillose;

pappi white to pinkish, 3–4 mm.

purple or brown (nerves stramineous), oblanceoloid, ± falcate, compressed, (2–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm, 3–4-nerved (nerves prominent), faces glabrous or sparsely strigillose;

pappi white, 3.8–6 mm.

= 16, 32, 48.