Flora of North America species comparison

1–(2–3), ascending to erect (straight), proximally glabrate, distally uniformly villous or hirsute, or glabrous (var. glabratum).

1–3+, erect (straight, slender, often reddish to slightly glaucous proximally), glabrous.

thin, margins scabrous, apices mucronate, abaxial faces usually sparsely to densely strigose or strigillose, sometimes glabrous (var. glabrum), adaxial usually strigose or scabrous, sometimes glabrate or glabrous (var. glabrum);

basal withering by flowering, petiolate to subpetiolate (petioles narrowly winged, ciliate, bases sheathing), blades spatulate to oblanceolate-obovate, 10–40 × 5–10 mm, bases attenuate, margins crenate-serrate, apices acute to rounded;

proximalmost cauline usually withering by flowering, petiolate or sessile (petioles narrowly winged, ± clasping), blades ovate or lance-ovate to elliptic-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 20–80(–12) × 5–35 mm, progressively reduced distally, bases attenuate to cuneate, margins serrate (sometimes coarsely) to crenate-serrate, apices acute to acuminate or short-caudate;

distal sessile, blades elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, (6–)10–80+ × 2–25 mm, progressively reduced distally, bases cuneate, margins entire to serrulate, apices acute to acuminate.

stiff, margins entire to sparsely subserrulate, revolute, scabrellous, apices mucronulate, sometimes with callous point, faces glabrous, abaxial midveins sometimes sparsely strigillose;

basal withering by flowering, subpetiolate to petiolate, petioles winged, base dilated, sheathing, eciliate, blades linear-oblanceolate to ovate or suborbiculate, 20–150 × 5–60 mm, bases attenuate, margins shallowly serrate or entire, apices obtuse to rounded;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile or subpetiolate, petioles widely winged, bases strongly clasping, blades linear-lanceolate to linear, 15–90 × 2–12 mm, bases attenuate to cuneate or subauriculate, ± clasping, apices obtuse to acute;

distal sessile, blades linear-lanceolate (sometimes lanceolate) to linear, (40–)60–150 × 2–6(–8) mm, ± reduced distally, bases subauriculate, subclasping, margins entire or sometimes remotely serrulate, apices acute.

subsessile or 2–10(–20) mm, ± pilose, bracts 1–5, linear-lanceolate, pilose, grading into phyllaries.

0.5–5 cm, glabrous, bracts 1–3, remote, linear-lanceolate to linear, reduced distally, not grading into phyllaries (sometimes subtending heads).

campanulate, 3–5.5 mm.

cylindro-campanulate, (4–)5–8 mm.

(10–)15–26;

corollas usually white, rarely pinkish or light purple to blue, laminae 3.5–5.5(–8) × 0.5–1.5 mm.

(15–)25–35(–41);

corollas white to often pale rose, pale purple or lavender, laminae (7–)10–15(–20) × 1.1–1.5 mm.

12–25;

corollas cream or light yellow turning magenta or purple (ampliate), 2.5–4(–4.5) mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes slightly spreading to reflexed, lanceolate, 0.7–1.1 mm.

(15–)25–30(–40);

corollas cream or pale yellow becoming pink or brown purple, 3.7–6.6 mm, tubes shorter than funnelform throats, lobes triangular, 0.5–1 mm.

in (3–)4–6 series, unequal, appressed or ± spreading, linear-obovate (outer) to oblong-lanceolate to linear (inner), bases indurate 1/3–3/4, margins narrowly scarious to apices, erose, hyaline, ciliate, green zones lanceolate, apices acute to acuminate, mucronulate, faces (outer) sparsely pilose or glabrous (var. glabratum), (inner) glabrous.

in 4–5 series, usually appressed, rarely outer recurved, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate (outer) to linear (innermost) ± unequal to sometimes subequal, bases indurate 1/3–1/2 (sometimes not indurate), margins scarious, erose, hyaline or tinged with reddish purple, sparsely ciliolate, green zones lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, apices acute to acuminate, mucronate to apiculate, often purple or reddish purple (particularly inner), faces glabrous.

in ample, open, paniculiform arrays, branches ± ascending or divaricate to long-arching, ± secund.

borne singly or in open, often lax, racemiform or paniculiform arrays, branches ascending, sparsely leafy.

gray or tan, oblong-obovoid, sometimes ± compressed, 1.2–1.8(–2) mm, 3–5-nerved, faces strigillose;

pappi whitish to white, 3–3.5 mm.

yellowish tan or purple to brownish with purple streaks or grayish tan (nerves stramineous), obovoid, ± compressed, 0.6–2 mm, 3–5-nerved, faces sparsely strigillose;

pappi white, 2.7–6.4 mm.

= 16, 32, 48, 64.