Flora of North America species comparison

1(–3+), erect, simple, ± villous to glabrescent.

1–8+, erect, simple, strict, glabrescent, usually ± densely villous distally.

strongly basal and cauline, linear, firm, ± fleshy, margins indurate, ± revolute, entire to spinose-serrate, smooth to remotely scabridulous or ciliate, spines indurate, finely parallel-veined with evident midribs, apices acute, revolute-indurate, faces glabrescent (minute hairs bulbous at base, threadlike distally);

basal and proximal cauline persistent, sessile or petiolate (narrowing between bases and blades), blades lance-linear to linear, 100–300 × (1–)2–5 mm, bases ± marcescent, sheathing, ciliate;

cauline sessile, blades linear to lance-linear, 20–95 × 3–5 mm, progressively reduced distally, bases rounded- to auriculate-clasping, adaxial faces sparsely villous in distal, the distal subtending heads boat-shaped.

basal and cauline, thick, firm (only midnerves conspicuous), margins entire or nearly so, indurate, scabrous, apices indurate, mucronate, faces scabrous (especially distal) to sometimes glabrous, adaxial sometimes villous (especially proximal) at least along midnerves;

basal often withering by flowering (bases sometimes marcescent), petioles erect, longer than blades, bases sheathing, winged, ciliate, blades narrowly elliptic to ovate or obovate, 20–70 × 8–20 mm, bases cuneate, margins sometimes crenulate-serrulate, teeth mucronate, apices obtuse to rounded;

cauline usually sessile, sometimes subsessile (ascending), lanceolate to oblanceolate, 15–80(–90) × 2.5–12 mm, bases sheathing to auriculate-clasping (distal), apices acute.

0 (usually) or ascending, 1–17+ mm, sparsely villosulous;

bracts 0–2, ascending, lanceolate, bases not indurate, rounded (boat-shaped), margins ciliate, faces glabrous.

slender, villous;

bracts 1–2, often 1 near heads, leaflike (bases sometimes indurate and white as in phyllaries).

campanulate, 6.5–9.7 mm, shorter than pappi.

cylindro-campanulate, 6.5–9 mm, slightly shorter than pappi.

8–17;

laminae pale purple to purplish white, 10–16(–20) × 1–1.8 mm.

(5–)8–14;

corollas blue-violet to rose-purple or bluish, often pale, 5–8(–10) × 1–1.8 mm.

18–30;

corollas yellow, 5.5–7.6 mm, barely ampliate, tubes much shorter than tubular-funnelform throats (1–2 mm), lobes erect, lanceolate, 0.65–1 mm.

10–20;

corollas pale yellow, 5.5–6.2 mm, not ampliate, tubes longer than narrowly funnelform throats, lobes triangular, 0.65–0.9 mm.

20–40 in 4–5 series, green, often ± involute in distal 1/2–2/3 (outer) to 1/3 (inner), densely nerved (nerves not thickened), lanceolate, unequal, coriaceous, bases indurate, rounded (outer), margins entire, indurate (outer) or scarious and often purplish (inner), sparsely ciliate, apices acute to acuminate, indurate, apiculate, adaxial faces glabrous or sparsely villosulous.

24–35 in 4–5 series, oblong (outer) to lanceolate (inner), unequal, coriaceous (outer) to membranous (inner), bases indurate, rounded (outer), margins hyaline, narrowly scarious, ± erose, ciliate (outer), apices reflexed, green (except innermost), purple-margined, less scarious, rounded or obtuse (outer) to acuminate (inner), mucronate, abaxial faces glabrous or obscurely puberulent, eglandular.

3–16+ in spiciform to narrow, racemiform arrays.

3–55+ in flat-topped, corymbiform arrays, branches ascending, slender.

brown to gray-brown, fusiform, ± compressed, 2–2.5 mm, ribs 7–10, faces ± strigillose;

pappi of burnt-orange (coarse, sometimes apically clavellate) bristles 6–7.5 mm, as long as or slightly longer than disc corollas.

stramineous, cylindro-obconic, 1.75–2.6 mm, ribs 9–12 (crowded), faces glabrate to strigillose;

pappi of tawny to cinnamon bristles 5.9–6.2 mm, equaling disc corollas.

= 18.