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1 Stem, leaves, and phyllaries sparsely to densely pubescent with spreading non-glandular hairs as well has having minutely glandular pubescence; annuals with taproots |
1 Stems, leaves, and phyllaries various but lacking spreading non-glandular hairs; biennials or perennials, either fibrous-rooted or with a mostly short and quickly disintegrating taproot. |
..2 Cypselas lacking translucent, yellow to reddish brown, longitudinal ridges; phyllaries moderately to densely glandular. |
....3 Upper leaf surfaces arachnoid; [widespread in our area, including in the Piedmont, Mountains, and Interior Low Plateau] |
....3 Upper leaf surfaces variously pubescent, but not arachnoid; [of the Coastal Plain only, and mainly FL (also AL, NC, and SC)]. |
......4 Phyllary tips acuminate, attenuate, or subulate, spreading to reflexed; [of FL Panhandle and s. AL]. |
........5 Stems decumbent; heads 5-15 (-25) in corymbiform arrays; [of coastal dunes] |
........5 Stems erect; heads (18-) 30-80 in paniculiform arrays; [of inland habitats] |
......4 Phyllary tips acuminate, acute, or obtuse, appressed; [of peninsular FL, eastern Panhandle FL, and rarely (possibly only as an introduction) in NC and SC]. |
..........6 Stem leaves sparely hirsute and stipitate-glandular; involucres green in bud. |
............ 7 Stems ascending to erect, often branched at or near the base; heads nodding in development; mid-stem leaves moderately hirsute, and also densely stipitate-glandular, the longer stipitate-glandular hairs 0.4-0.9 mm long |
............ 7 Stems erect, usually unbranched below the inflorescence; heads erect in development; mid-stem leaves glabrate to sparsely strigillose, and also densely stipitate-glandular, the longer stipitate-glandular hairs < 0.3 mm long |
..........6 Stem leaves woolly or tomentose; involucres yellowish-green in bud. |
............ ..8 Mid-stem leaves obovate or oblanceolate (widest above the midpoint), their bases cuneate or slightly clasping; longest marginal cilia of the leaves rarely > 1 mm long; leaf blades appressed-tomentose, sparsely stipitate-glandular (these largely hidden by the non-glandular hairs) |
............ ..8 Mid-stem leaves oblong, elliptic, ovate or lanceolate (widest at or below the midpoint), their bases truncate to rounded; longest marginal cilia of the leaves 2-3 mm long; leaf blades glabrate to sparsely woolly-pilose, densely and apparently stipitate-glandular |
..2 Cypselas with 2-10 translucent, yellow to reddish brown, longitudinal ridges; phyllaries glabrous to densely pilose, and sometimes also stipitate-glandular. |
............ ....9 Phyllary tips spreading to reflexed, twisted, usually long-attenuate, eglandular; cypselas with 6-10-ridges; [of n. FL southwards] |
............ ....9 Phyllary tips appressed, acute to acuminate, either glandular or eglandular; cypselas with 2-6 ridges; [collectively more widespread]. |
............ ......10 Phyllaries 1.5-2.5 mm wide, stipitate-glandular |
............ ......10 Phyllaries 0.5-1.0 (-1.5) mm wide, eglandular. |
............ ........11 Mid and upper stem leaves distinctly pilose-ciliate along the margins. |
............ ..........12 Stem leaf surfaces moderately to densely woolly; heads few in lax corymbiform arrays; stems decumbent to erect; [of VA to c. peninsular FL, west to FL Panhandle] |
............ ..........12 Stem leaf surfaces glabrate to pilose; heads many in simple to sometimes compound umbelliform arrays; stems usually erect; [of peninsular FL west to w. LA (mainly East Gulf Coastal Plain of FL Panhandle, s. AL, s. MS, and LA] |
............ ........11 Mid and upper stem leaves not pilose-ciliate along the margins |
............ ............ 13 Stems erect. |
............ ............ ..14 Heads 20-100, in compact subumbelliform to paniculiform arrays; stems often dark purple; plants 3-20 dm tall; stem leaves linear to narrowly linear (often > 10× as long as wide), flat to slightly twisted, the margins usually flat (to slightly undulate); [of FL Panhandle and s. AL] |
............ ............ ..14 Heads 4-30 (-50), in open corymbiform arrays; stems green-purple; plants 3-8 dm tall; stem leaves linear to linear-lanceolate or elliptic (< 10× as long as wide), strongly twisted, the margins also often undulate; [of the FL peninsula] |
............ ............ 13 Stems decumbent. |
............ ............ ....15 Stem leaves glabrous and eciliate (but rosette leaves densely woolly), lower stem leaves absent at flowering; outer phyllaries with a few stipitate glands basally, the involucre otherwise glabrous |
............ ............ ....15 Stem leaves eciliate or ciliate, the surfaces glabrate to sparsely woolly, the hairs often only or mostly near the margin, lower stem leaves usually present at flowering; phyllaries glabrous, glandular-punctate |