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 |
3 Flower color yellow to yellowish-white. |
4 Leaves basal and cauline, grasslike (untoothed and unlobed); stem leafy |
4 Leaves basal only, variously toothed to pinnately lobed; stem scapiform (leafless). |
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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 |
6 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. |
7 Achenes distinctly flattened or compressed. |
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8 Florets (6-)10-50+ per head |
9 Plants taprooted annuals or biennials, without rhizomes |
9 Plants rhizomatous perennials, the rhizomes deeply rooted in the substrate |
7 Achenes terete or prismatic. |
10 Pappus of plumose bristles, at least the inner series; plant an annual or biennial. |
11 Receptacles lacking paleae |
11 Receptacles with paleae |
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); phyllary apices usually with keel-like flap |
12 Beak of the cypsela lacking a ring of hairs as described; phyllary apices lacking keel ( phyllary bases can be keeled in Crepis) |
13 Pappus of 80-150 barbellulate bristles; plant an annual or biennial |
13 Pappus either of 40-50 (or more) smooth bristles or of 20-30 barbellulate bristles; plant a perennial. |
14 Phyllaries tomentose; pappus of 40-50 (or more) smooth bristles |
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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] |
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] |
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16 Pappus of bristles only (these barbellulate, plumose, or rarely smooth). |
19 Pappus of plumose bristles (these somewhat flattened at their bases) |
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 |
21 Leaf margins white- ciliolate and usually undulate, the blades linear- lanceolate |
20 Leaves coarsely toothed or pinnately lobed; plants annuals, from a taproot. |
22 Flowers usually pink to lavender; [TX; tribe Mutisieae] |
22 Flowers usually yellow to orange; [widespread, including TX; tribe Cichorieae]. |
23 Involucre 5-12 mm high; achenes usually > 2.5 mm long; pappus bristles distinct, 3-7 mm long |
23 Involucre 3-5 mm high; achenes 1.5-2.5 mm long; pappus bristles basally connate (unified basally into a ring-like structure at the junction of achene summit), 2.5-3.5 mm long |
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. |
24 Pappus absent or of scales. |
25 Corollas pale blue (rarely pink or white) |
25 Corollas yellow (rarely orange). |
26 Phyllaries enfolding the outer cypselae |
26 Phyllaries not enfolding the outer cypselae. |
27 Stem winged and spiny; leaves spiny-margined; receptacle with paleae |
27 Stem not winged or spiny; leaves not spiny-margined; receptacle lacking paleae. |
28 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 |
28 Cypselae 3-5 mm long; heads borne in corymbiform or thyrsiform arrays; plants to 15 dm tall |
24 Pappus of numerous smooth, barbellate, or plumose bristles. |
29 Cypselae more or less strongly flattened. |
30 Pappus of 30-45+ bristles, these at least partly plumose |
30 Pappus of simple capillary bristles only |
29 Cypselae terete or prismatic, slightly or not at all flattened. |
31 Corollas pink, purple, lavender, white, or creamy-yellow. |
32 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] |
32 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] |
31 Corollas bright yellow, orange, or red. |
33 Leaves finely prickly; pappus of frizzy outer bristles and coarse, straight inner bristles |
33 Leaves not finely prickly; pappus of barbellulate bristles (sometimes of uneven thickness but not of 2 distinct types) |
34 Plants taprooted annuals and biennials (rarely perennials); pappus bristles white and soft in texture |
34 Plants fibrous-rooted perennials; pappus bristles white, light to medium tan, or sordid, stiff. |
35 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 |
35 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 |
