Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key to Asteraceae, Key E: herbaceous composites with leaves alternate or basal,
liguliflorous heads (composed of ligulate florets), and sap usually milky

Copy permalink to share | Check for keys that lead to this key

1 Cypselae (at least of the inner florets of the head) beaked, the beak usually > ½ the length of the cypselae body.

2 Heads solitary and terminal at the end of a stem unbranched to its base.

3 Flower color pink to purple or white  Pinaropappus roseus

3 Flower color yellow to yellowish-white.

4 Leaves basal and cauline, grasslike (untoothed and unlobed); stem leafy  Tragopogon

4 Leaves basal only, variously toothed to pinnately lobed; stem scapiform (leafless).

5 Pappus of bristles  Taraxacum

5 Pappus either of outer scales and inner bristles or entirely of aristate scales.

6 Pappus of outer scales and inner plumose bristles; leaves oblanceolate to oblong; plants annual or perennial  Leontodon

6 Pappus of aristate scales; leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate; plants annual  Uropappus lindleyi

2 Heads several per stem, in various corymbiform, umbelliform, spiciform, or paniculiform arrays (rarely solitary and terminal in the smallest and most depauperate individuals in a population.

7 Achenes distinctly flattened or compressed.

8 Florets 5 per head  Cicerbita muralis

8 Florets (6-)10-50+ per head

9 Plants taprooted annuals or biennials, without rhizomes  Lactuca

9 Plants rhizomatous perennials, the rhizomes deeply rooted in the substrate  Mulgedium oblongifolium

7 Achenes terete or prismatic.

10 Pappus of plumose bristles, at least the inner series; plant an annual or biennial.

11 Receptacles lacking paleae  Helminthotheca echioides

Show caption*© Sonnia Hill                      11 Receptacles with paleae  Hypochaeris

10 Pappus of simple capillary bristles; plant an annual, biennial, or perennial.

12 Beak of the cypsela with a ring of soft white reflexed hairs at the summit (just below the pappus)  Pyrrhopappus

12 Beak of the cypsela lacking a ring of hairs as described.

13 Pappus of 80-150 barbellulate bristles; plant an annual or biennial  Crepis

13 Pappus either of 40-50 (or more) smooth bristles or of 20-30 barbellulate bristles; plant a perennial

14 Pappus of 40-50 (or more) smooth bristles  Chondrilla juncea

14 Pappus of 20-30 barbellulate bristles  Ixeris stolonifera

1 Cypselae beakless, the apex typically rounded or truncate (sometimes tapered but lacking a distinct beak and conspicuously < ½ the length of cypselae body).

15 Leaves basally disposed (stem leaves few or none, if present generally smaller in size than the basal leaves, which are persistent into flowering and fruiting); corollas yellow, orange, or red.

16 Pappus absent or of both scales and barbellulate bristles.

17 Heads solitary or 2-3; pappus absent, the cypselae never bearing scales or bristles; cypselae with 8-10 ribs (3-5 prominent); [waif, ne. US]  Arnoseris minima

17 Heads solitary; pappus present (occasionally absent in Krigia); cypselae with 10-20 ribs; [widespread natives]

18 Pappus of 40-80 smooth to barbellulate bristles and sometimes a few subulate to setiform scales (but pappus never absent); [Great Plains, midwest US]  Nothocalais cuspidata

18 Pappus absent, of scales, or of 5-45 bristles and 5+ scales; [collectively widespread]  Krigia

16 Pappus of bristles only (these barbellulate, plumose, or rarely smooth).

19 Pappus of plumose bristles (these somewhat flattened at their bases)  Scorzoneroides

19 Pappus of barbellulate bristles (sometimes smooth-barbellulate).

20 Leaves with entire margins; plants perennials, from short rhizomes, a short caudex with fibrous roots, or a thick taproot.

21 Leaf margins not undulate, the blades elliptic, oblong, or spatulate  Hieracium

21 Leaf margins white-ciliolate and usually undulate, the blades linear-lanceolate  Nothocalais cuspidata

20 Leaves coarsely toothed or pinnately lobed; plants annuals, from a taproot.

22 Involucre 5-12 mm high; achenes usually > 2.5 mm long; pappus bristles distinct, 3-7 mm long  Crepis

22 Involucre 3-5 mm high; achenes 1.5-2.5 mm long; pappus bristles basally connate, 2.5-3.5 mm long  Youngia

15 Leaves basal and cauline (plant often beginning with a basal rosette, but by flowering bearing well-developed stem leaves about as large as the basal leaves, the basal rosette often withering prior to flowering and fruiting); corollas yellow, orange, red, blue, pink, white, or lavender.

23 Pappus absent or of scales.

24 Corollas pale blue (rarely pink or white)  Cichorium

24 Corollas yellow (rarely orange).

25 Phyllaries enfolding the outer cypselae  Hedypnois rhagadioloides

25 Phyllaries not enfolding the outer cypselae.

26 Stem winged and spiny; leaves spiny-margined; receptacle with paleae  Scolymus

26 Stem not winged or spiny; leaves not spiny-margined; receptacle lacking paleae.

27 Cypselae 1.2-2.8 mm long; heads borne single at the ends of scapiform stems that are unbranched (rarely few-branched near the base); plants to 7 dm tall  Krigia

27 Cypselae 3-5 mm long; heads borne in corymbiform or thyrsiform arrays; plants to 15 dm tall  Lapsana communis

23 Pappus of numerous smooth, barbellate, or plumose bristles.

28 Cypselae more or less strongly flattened.

29 Pappus of 30-45+ bristles, these at least partly plumose  Picris

29 Pappus of simple capillary bristles only  Sonchus

28 Cypselae terete or prismatic, slightly or not at all flattened.

30 Corollas pink, purple, lavender, white, or creamy-yellow.

31 Leaves linear, entire, < 3 mm wide, or reduced to scales; cypselae 11-14 mm long; [of the Coastal Plain of GA and se. AL south to s. FL]  Lygodesmia

31 Leaves broader, of various shapes, usually hastate, irregularly lobed, and/or serrate; cypselae 3.5-10 mm long; [collectively widespread in our area, south to n. FL]  Nabalus

30 Corollas bright yellow, orange, or red.

32 Leaves finely prickly; pappus of frizzy outer bristles and coarse, straight inner bristles  Launaea intybacea

32 Leaves not finely prickly; pappus of barbellulate bristles (sometimes of uneven thickness but not of 2 distinct types)

33 Plants taprooted annuals and biennials (rarely perennials); pappus bristles white and soft in texture  Crepis

33 Plants fibrous-rooted perennials; pappus bristles white, light to medium tan, or sordid, stiff.

34 Cypselae (2-) 2.5-7 mm long; pappus of (30-) 40-80 white, tan, or sordid bristles, in 1-2+ series; plants cespitose; corollas yellow  Hieracium

34 Cypselae 1-2.5 mm long; pappus of 25-40+ white to sordid bristles, in 1 series; plants stoloniferous (cespitose in a few species); corollas yellow or orange  Pilosella