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1 Heads erect in bud, flowering, and fruiting; peduncles dilated below the head, gradually widening to the diameter of the head; [s. peninsular FL only]
1 Heads nodding in bud and flowering, erect in fruiting; peduncles not dilated below the head, abruptly joined to the much wider head; [e. NC south to s. FL, west to TX].
..2 Ligules of peripheral florets with a purple midstripe beneath at anthesis; disk florets (functionally staminate; ca. 25) more than twice as numerous as internal pistillate florets (5-11); leaves sessile; lower leaf surface densely white-tomentose; [e. NC south to s. FL, west to e. TX]
..2 Ligules of peripheral florets when present uniformly cream colored on both sides at anthesis (aging to crimson); internal pistillate florets much more numerous than disk (perfect) florets; leaves sessile or petiolate; lower leaf surface thinly gray-tomentose; [c., se., and s. TX southwestwards].
....3 Phyllaries rigid, subulate and subulate-linear, imbricate, typically greater than 1.5 mm wide in the middle; pappus 10.5-14.1 mm long; ligules of spring florets, when visible, barely extending beyond the phyllaries and blocked from spreading outward by the stiff phyllary tips; heads not heliotropic
....3 Phyllaries flexible, linear-lanceolate, subimbricate, ca. 1 mm wide in the middle; pappus 7.6-10.5 mm long; ligules of spring florets extending beyond the phyllaries, spreading outward from the involucre at midday and closing in the evening; heads heliotropic