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, erect (± flexuous, often reddish), glabrous, hairy in lines distally.

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.

stiff, margins sparsely serrulate or entire, ± revolute, scabrous, apices acute to acuminate, mucronulate, faces glabrous, sometimes midveins hairy;

basal withering by flowering, long-petiolate, petioles narrowly winged, bases sheathing, blades lanceolate, ca. 20 × 3–5 mm, slightly attenuate to narrowly cuneate;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile or subpetiolate, blades linear-lanceolate to -oblanceolate, 100–200 × 4–8 mm, bases cuneate to attenuate, clasping;

distal sessile, blades linear-lanceolate to linear, 10–110 × 1–7 mm, progressively reduced distally, bases cuneate to rounded, slightly clasping or not, margins entire.

glabrous or ± densely pilose in lines, bracts 1–4, linear, sometimes inrolled distally, clasping, ciliate, distal 1–2 often subtending and surpassing involucres.

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

campanulate, 5–8.5 mm.

8–15(–23);

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

20–35;

corollas dark blue-violet, seldom white, laminae 8–13 × 1–1.5 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.

(18–)23–40;

corollas yellow, 4–6.5 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes lanceolate, 0.8–1 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 3–4 series, oblong-lanceolate, subequal, bases indurate 1/3–3/4, margins scarious, erose, hyaline, ciliate proximally, sparsely ciliolate distally, green zones lanceolate to linear, sometimes outer ± foliaceous, apices acuminate to long-acuminate, often foliaceous, mucronate to apiculate, faces glabrous, eglandular.

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 elongate, open, narrow, paniculiform or racemiform arrays, branches ascending, short, leafy, branch leaves smaller and reduced distally (heads 1–3 per branch).

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.

tan, obovoid, compressed, ca. 2.2–2.4 mm, 5–6-nerved, faces sparsely strigillose;

pappi pinkish, 7–8 mm.

= 16, 32, 48.

= 64, 80.