Flora of North America species comparison

basal and cauline;

proximal petiolate, blades ovate to lanceolate or lance-linear;

distal ± sessile, blades ovate or elliptic to lanceolate or lance-linear, bases ± clasping, margins entire or spinose-toothed; all with apices rounded to acute, faces glabrous or glabrate, resin-gland-dotted.

± hemispheric, 25–45 mm diam.

12–35(–70+);

corollas usually blue to purplish blue (rarely white or lilac), tubes longer than funnelform throats, lobes 5, lance-linear (in peripheral florets adaxial sinus much deeper than others and corollas zygomorphic, ± raylike or ligulelike, in central florets corollas ± actinomorphic).

25–35+ in 5–7 series, the outer with appressed, ± chartaceous bases, distally ± foliaceous, margins pectinately spiny-toothed (at least at base), inner ± chartaceous throughout, mostly entire, faces ± tomentulose and resin-gland-dotted.

pseudo-radiant (see here at corollas), ± pedunculate, not individually bracteate;

borne singly or in loose, ± corymbiform arrays 6–12 cm diam.

± columnar, 3–4-angled, glabrous;

pappi caducous, of 4–5 scales.

= 7.