Flora of North America species comparison

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Phoebanthus

false sunflower
Habit Perennials, 40–100+ cm (aerial stems from relatively slender, horizontal tubers).
Stems

erect, branched mostly distally (among heads, leafy).
Leaves

cauline; all opposite, or proximal opposite and distal alternate, or all alternate;

sessile;

blades (usually 1-nerved) linear-filiform or linear to linear-lanceolate, bases ± cuneate or rounded, margins entire (revolute), faces scabrous (adaxial) and sparsely hispid-scabrous, gland-dotted as well.
Involucres

hemispheric to campanulate, 10–20 mm diam.
Receptacles

convex, paleate (paleae tan, conduplicate, trilobed or tricuspidate).
Ray florets

10–20, neuter;

corollas yellow (apices 2–4-lobed).
Disc florets

40–100+, bisexual, fertile;

corollas yellow, tubes shorter than narrowly campanulate throats, lobes 5, triangular.
Phyllaries

persistent, 20–40+ in 2–3+ series (green, subequal, herbaceous, strigillose to hispid).
Heads

radiate, borne singly or (2–6) in open, ± corymbiform arrays.
Cypselae

(purplish black) obpyramidal, slightly compressed;

pappi 0, or persistent or fragile, of 1–2 lacerate scales (over cypsela shoulders) plus 0–6 lacerate or bristlelike shorter scales.
x

= 17.

Phoebanthus
Distribution
from USDA
se United States
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, the larger 3–7 mm wide; phyllaries appressed
P. grandiflorus
1. Leaves linear-filiform, the larger 0.5–2 mm wide; phyllaries spreading
P. tenuifolius
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 113. Author: Edward E. Schilling.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ecliptinae
Subordinate taxa
P. grandiflorus, P. tenuifolius
Name authority S. F. Blake: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 51: 520. (1916)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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