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

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1 Cypselas (at least of the inner florets of the head) beaked.
..2 Heads solitary and terminal at the end of a stem unbranched to its base.
....3 Leaves basal and cauline, grasslike (untoothed and unlobed); stem leafy
....3 Leaves basal only, variously toothed to pinnately lobed; stem scapiform (leafless).
......4 Pappus of bristles
......4 Pappus either of outer scales and inner bristles or entirely of aristate scales.
........5 Pappus of outer scales and inner plumose bristles; leaves oblanceolate to oblong; plants annual or perennial
........5 Pappus of aristate scales; leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate; plants annual
..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.
..........6 Achenes distinctly flattened
..........6 Achenes terete or prismatic.
............ 7 Pappus of plumose bristles, at least the inner series; plant an annual or biennial.
............ ..8 Receptacles lacking paleae
............ ..8 Receptacles with paleae
............ 7 Pappus of simple capillary bristles; plant an annual, biennial, or perennial.
............ ....9 Beak of the cypsela with a ring of soft white reflexed hairs at the summit (just below the pappus)
............ ....9 Beak of the cypsela lacking a ring of hairs as described.
............ ......10 Pappus of 80-150 barbellulate bristles; plant an annual or biennial
............ ......10 Pappus either of 40-50 (or more) smooth bristles or of 20-30 barbellulate bristles; plant a perennial
............ ........11 Pappus of 40-50 (or more) smooth bristles
............ ........11 Pappus of 20-30 barbellulate bristles
1 Cypselas beakless.
............ ..........12 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.
............ ............ 13 Pappus absent or of both scales and barbellulate bristles
............ ............ 13 Pappus of bristles only (these barbellulate or plumose).
............ ............ ..14 Pappus of plumose bristles (these somewhat flattened at their bases)
............ ............ ..14 Pappus of barbellulate bristles.
............ ............ ....15 Leaves with entire margins; plants perennials, either from long to short rhizomes or from a short caudex with fibrous roots
............ ............ ....15 Leaves coarsely toothed or pinnately lobed; plants annuals, from a taproot.
............ ............ ......16 Involucre 5-12 mm high; achenes usually > 2.5 mm long; pappus bristles distinct, 3-7 mm long
............ ............ ......16 Involucre 3-5 mm high; achenes 1.5-2.5 mm long; pappus bristles basally connate, 2.5-3.5 mm long
............ ..........12 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.
............ ............ ........17 Pappus absent or of scales.
............ ............ ..........18 Corollas pale blue (rarely pink or white)
............ ............ ..........18 Corollas yellow (rarely orange).
............ ............ ............ 19 Phyllaries enfolding the outer cypselas
............ ............ ............ 19 Phyllaries not enfolding the outer cypselas.
............ ............ ............ ..20 Stem winged and spiny; leaves spiny-margined; receptacle with paleae
............ ............ ............ ..20 Stem not winged or spiny; leaves not spiny-margined; receptable lacking paleae.
............ ............ ............ ....21 Cypselas 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
............ ............ ............ ....21 Cypselas 3-5 mm long; heads borne in corymbiform or thyrsiform arrays; plants to 15 dm tall
............ ............ ........17 Pappus of numerous smooth, barbellate, or plumose bristles.
............ ............ ............ ......22 Cypselas more or less strongly flattened.
............ ............ ............ ........23 Pappus of 30-45+ bristles, these at least partly plumose
............ ............ ............ ........23 Pappus of simple capillary bristles only
............ ............ ............ ......22 Cypselas terete or prismatic, slightly or not at all flattened.
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Corollas pink, purple, lavender, white, or creamy-yellow.
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Leaves linear, entire, < 3 mm wide, or reduced to scales; cypselas 11-14 mm long; [of the Coastal Plain of GA and se. AL south to s. FL]
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Leaves broader, of various shapes, usually hastate, irregularly lobed, and/or serrate; cypselas 3.5-10 mm long; [collectively widespread in our area, south to n. FL]
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Corollas bright yellow, orange, or red.
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Plants taprooted annuals and biennials (rarely perennials); pappus bristles white and soft in texture
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Plants fibrous-rooted perennials; pappus bristles white, light to medium tan, or sordid, stiff.
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Cypselas (2-) 2.5-7 mm long; pappus of (30-) 40-80 white, tan, or sordid bristles, in 1-2+ series; plants cespitose; corollas yellow
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Cypselas 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