Flora of North America species comparison

1–5+, ascending to erect (often stout, light to dark brown), sparsely to densely scabroso-hirsute to cinereo-puberulent, or villous distally.

1–5+, ascending or erect, glabrous or hirsute.

(light to dark green) thick and often stiff (margins flat, sometimes undulate), scabrous;

basal early deciduous, subpetiolate (petioles winged, sheathing), blades spatulate to obovate, 30–70 × 10–30 mm, bases cuneate, margins entire to ± serrulate, scabrous, apices acute to rounded, faces scabroso-hirsute;

proximal cauline sessile, blades usually ovate to lanceolate, rarely spatulate, (20–)30–70(–100) × 10–30(–40) mm, reduced distally, bases strongly cordate-clasping to auriculate-amplexicaul (broadened below constriction), apices acute, faces (grayish green) rugulose, hairy (abaxial inconspicuously veined, adaxial reticulately veined, hairier along veins);

distal sessile, blades narrowly to broadly ovate, 15–35 × 4–13 mm, much reduced on branches, bases strongly cordate-clasping to auriculate-amplexicaul, apices usually acute, sometimes obtuse, mucronate to white-spinulose, faces scabrous, sometimes sparsely to moderately stipitate-glandular.

thin, margins entire, apices usually acute, faces glabrous or sparsely puberulent;

basal withering by flowering, petiolate, blades (linear-)oblanceolate to obovate, 30–200 × 4–40 mm, bases attenuate, margins entire to finely serrate, apices acute;

proximalmost cauline sometimes withering by flowering, sessile, blades broadly to narrowly oblanceolate, 40–150 × 5–30 mm, bases usually ± attenuate or cuneate;

distal sessile, blades lanceolate to oblanceolate, 25–90 × 5–30 mm, bases cuneate.

stiffly ascending, slender, 2–10(–15) cm, scabroso-hirsute to cinereo-puberulent, bracts appressed to spreading, linear, 1–5 mm, grading into phyllaries.

puberulent, bracts 3–10, lanceolate to elliptic, margins often scabrous to ciliolate.

campanulate, 5.5–12 mm.

campanulate, 5–8 mm.

12–24+;

corollas light lavender-violet to mauve, rarely white to pinkish, laminae 10–18(–20) × 1–3 mm.

15–40;

corollas violet, laminae 9–15 × 1.5–2.5 mm.

20–50;

corollas yellow, cream, or white turning purple, (4.5–)5.5–7.5 mm, tubes shorter than narrowly funnelform throats, lobes triangular, 0.5–1 mm (glabrous or lobes thinly puberulent).

35–60+;

corollas yellow, 4–8 mm, lobes triangular, 0.5–1 mm.

in 4–7(–8) series, appressed or often slightly recurved-spreading or squarrose, ovate-lanceolate to linear, strongly unequal, bases (tan) ± indurate in proximal 1/3–1/2, margins hyaline, erose, distally scabroso-ciliolate to ciliolate, green zones diamond-shaped, in distal 1/5–1/3, apices (outer) obtuse to acute, appressed to squarrose, (inner) acuminate, often purplish red, faces strigillose or cinereo-puberulent abaxially and near tip adaxially, sometimes moderately stipitate-glandular distally.

in 3–5 series, oblanceolate or oblong (outer) to linear (inner), unequal to subequal (outer usually shorter than inner, if so, lengths less than 3 times widths), bases scarious (outer) less than 1/2 or sometimes wholly foliaceous, inner scarious, margins eciliate or ciliolate, green zones oblanceolate to obovate or linear (innermost), apices (outer) obtuse, (inner) acute, faces glabrous or puberulent.

in paniculiform arrays, branches divaricate (heads 1–5+ per branch), terminal shoot often not flowering.

in open, paniculiform arrays, some branches at least 20+ cm.

dull purple or brown, obovoid to oblong-obovoid, not compressed, 2–3.5 mm, 7–10-nerved (faint), faces sericeous or strigillose;

pappi tawny, sometimes rose-tinged, 4.5–6.5 mm.

brown, cylindric to obovoid, not compressed, 3.5–4.5 mm, 2–4-nerved, faces hairy;

pappi white to tawny, 4–8 mm.

= 48, 64, 96.