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Key to Gaillardia

Asteraceae

Gaillardia

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1 Receptacle naked, lacking well-developed setae (if setae present, < 1 mm long).
  2 Leaves all basal; leaf blades glabrous or very sparsely villous; [OK and TX]
  2 Leaves basal and on the stem; leaf blades finely rough-hairy (scabrellous).
    3 Disk flowers brown, reddish brown, or yellow.
      4 Disk flowers brown or reddish brown; ray flowers present or absent, when present usually largely red, orange, or purplish
        5 Heads short-pedunculate, the peduncles mostly 5-10 cm long; rays present
        5 Heads long-pedunculate, the peduncles mostly 15-30 cm long; rays present or absent
          6 Midstem leaves with narrowly truncate to obtuse or cuneate bases; foliage sparsely to moderately hispidulous; [widespread]
          6 Midstem leaves with subclasping to clasping bases; foliage moderately to densely hispidulous; [c. and s. TX to ne. Mexico]
1 Receptacle with well-developed setae 1.5-6 mm long.
             7 Setae of the receptacle (2-) 3-6+ mm long; perennial, with leaves basal and cauline at time of flowering
             7 Setae of the receptacle 1.5-3 mm long; annual or perennial, with leaves all or mostly cauline at time of flowering
               8 Ray flowers typically unicolored, red to maroon; disc corolla lobes 0.5-1 mm long, ovate-deltate to lanceolate; cypselae dimorphic (outer cypselae longer than the inner, outer cypselae with shorter pappus scales than the inner
               8 Ray flowers typically bicolored, proximally brown-purple to red, distally yellow-orange; disc corolla lobes 1-4 mm long, deltate to ovate; cypselae and pappus scales all similar.
                 9 Leaves fleshy; perennial or annual, strongly branching, the secondary branches spreading and therefore forming compact, rounded “bushes”; [widespread, primarily of coastal dunes and flats, NC south to FL, west to TX]
                 9 Leaves herbaceous; annual, with secondary branches ascending; [collectively widespread].