Flora of North America species comparison

5–10+, erect or arching (light to dark brown), proximally sparsely to moderately finely woolly-pilose (hairs spreading to ascending), more densely so distally.

1–3+, erect (straight, brittle), hirtellous to glabrescent proximally to densely hirtellous distally.

(grayish) soft;

basal withering by flowering, sessile, blades (1–3-nerved) elliptic-lanceolate, 20–40 × 10–20 mm, bases attenuate, margins usually entire, rarely remotely serrate, piloso-ciliate, apices acute to obtuse, faces silvery piloso-silky;

proximal cauline withering by flowering, sessile, blades oblanceolate, 20–30 × 4–8 mm, bases rounded, subclasping, margins entire, scabrous to silky-piloso-ciliate, apices acute to obtuse, cuspidate-mucronate, faces moderately strigillose;

distal sessile, blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 8–15 × 2.5–5 mm, reduced distally, bases cuneate, margins entire, apices acute, mucronate, faces moderately, finely lanoso-strigose.

thin, margins scabrous, abaxial faces hirtellous, densely so on midveins, adaxial usually scabrous, sometimes strigose or hirsute, rarely glabrate;

basal withering by flowering (sometimes new winter rosette developing), petiolate (petioles purplish, narrowly winged, bases dilated and sheathing, hirsute), blades oblong-ovate or ovate to widely ovate, (10–)35–60(–140) × (10–)15–70 mm, bases usually cordate or subcordate to rounded, sometimes attenuate, margins shallowly crenate-serrate to subentire, apices obtuse or rounded, mucronulate;

proximalmost cauline withering by flowering, proximal persistent, winged-petiolate, distally more widely winged or ± sessile, wings widening abruptly at strongly auriculate-clasping petiolar bases, blades ovate to lanceolate, 30–120(–140) × (10–)20–50 mm, reduced distally, bases cordate- or auriculate-clasping (sessile), margins crenate-serrate or entire, apices acute or acuminate, mucronate;

distal sessile, blades lance-ovate to oblong or lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, sometimes pandurate (branch leaves ovate to lanceolate, sharply smaller), 4–100 × 0.5–26 mm, reduced distally, bases ± clasping, sheathing, margins serrulate or entire, apices acute or acuminate to long-acuminate.

densely hairy, bracts linear, grading into phyllaries.

well developed, 0.3–3(–5) cm, branches to 10 cm, spreading, bracteate, densely hirtellous to strigillose, bracts 3–10+, firm, appressed, subulate (2–3 mm), grading into phyllaries.

campanulate, 7–9 mm.

campanulate to cylindro-campanulate, 3.8–5.5 mm.

7–12;

corollas rose-purple, laminae 6–9 × 1–2 mm.

12–16(–25);

corollas usually blue to purple, sometimes lilac, laminae 6–12 × 1.4–2.5 mm.

14–20;

corollas pink turning purple, 5–6 mm, tubes shorter than narrowly funnelform throats (thinly puberulent), lobes triangular, 0.3–0.5 mm.

15–22(–25);

corollas cream or light yellow becoming purple, 4–5.8 mm, tubes slightly shorter than funnelform throats, lobes lanceolate, 0.5–0.9 mm.

in 3–4 series, spreading to reflexed, linear, unequal, bases (tan) ± indurate, margins scarious proximally, green distally, green zones foliaceous, apices acute, faces moderately woolly-strigose.

in 4–5(–6) series, appressed or outer spreading, oblong-lanceolate (outer) to linear-oblanceolate (inner) or linear (innermost), strongly unequal, bases indurate 1/2–2/3, margins scarious, erose, hyaline, ciliolate, green zones diamond-shaped to lanceolate, apices acute to acuminate or obtuse, often ± involute, often mucronulate, sometimes tips purplish, abaxial faces hirsutulous, adaxial sparsely so distally.

radiate, in narrow, paniculiform (wand-shaped) to sometimes compact, racemiform arrays (1(–3) per branch).

in open, narrow to wide paniculiform arrays, branches widely spreading, divaricate to ascending, sometimes secund, ± densely leafy.

fusiform-obovoid, not compressed, 2–3 mm, 6–8-nerved, faces densely strigose;

pappi tan to yellowish tan, (5.5–)6.5–8 mm.

dull purple to light brown or tan, oblong-obovoid, compressed, 1.7–2.2 mm, 3–4-nerved, faces strigillose;

pappi cream or rose-tinged, 3.5–5 mm.

= 8.

= 16, 32.