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1 Phyllaries acuminate to attenuate. |
..2 Larger leaves 0.2-1.3 cm wide; stems puberulent; involucre 3.5-7 mm high. |
....3 Rhizome absent to < 2 cm long; leaves usually reflexed-spreading to spreading-ascending, the larger (5-) 6-13 mm wide; leaf margins and surfaces moderately to densely strigose; involucre 5-8 mm long; pappus (3.3-) 3.9-5.0 mm long; corolla:pappus length ratio 0.63-0.89; mature achenes 2.2-3.5 mm long |
....3 Rhizome 2-20 cm long; leaves usually ascending to erect-recurved, the larger 2-4.5 mm wide; leaf margins and adaxial surface glabrous to sparsely strigose; involucre 3.5-5.5 mm long; pappus 2.7-4.1 mm long; corolla:pappus length ratio 0.83-1.00; mature achenes 1.6-2.3 mm long |
..2 Larger leaves 1.5-3 (-4) cm wide; stems villous to puberulent; involucre 8-11 mm high. |
......4 Larger leaves < 6 cm long; leaves with few or no resin glands. |
........5 Phyllaries lacking resin glands; leaf venation pinnate, with at least 2 pairs of lateral veins; [of the Coastal Plain of GA and n. FL] |
........5 Phyllaries (at least the outer) with resin glands; leaf venation 3-nerved from the base; of the Coastal Plain of DC, DE, NJ, and northward] |
......4 Larger leaves > 6 cm long (and usually > 8 cm long); leaves with sparse to abundant resin glands. |
..........6 Leaves sparsely pubescent; lower stem pubescence typically appressed, the hairs < 1 mm long; phyllaries acute-acuminate to mucronate. |
............ 7 Leaves with abundant resin glands |
............ 7 Leaves with sparse resin glands |
..........6 Leaves moderately pubescent; lower stem pubescence typically spreading, the hairs 0.5-1 mm long; phyllaries (at least the inner) long-attenuate. |
............ ..8 Leaves lanceolate, > 3× as long as wide; inner phyllaries glandular only in the lower half; [widespread in our area] |
............ ..8 Leaves lance-ovate to ovate, < 3× as long as wide; inner phyllaries glandular to near the apex; [from s. MS westward in our area] |
1 Phyllaries acute to obtuse. |
............ ....9 Leaf bases broadly cuneate, truncate, or subcordate, the leaves generally distinctly broadest near the base. |
............ ......10 Leaves (2.5-) 3-6 (-7)× as long as wide; plants glabrous below the inflorescence. |
............ ........11 Leaves subcoriaceous, the larger ones 8-18 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, averaging about 3× as long as wide |
............ ........11 Leaves membranaceous, the larger ones 9-18 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, averaging about 5× as long as wide |
............ ......10 Leaves 1-3 (-3.5)× as long as wide; plants pubescent below the inflorescence. |
............ ..........12 Leaves pinnately veined |
............ ..........12 Leaves prominently 3-veined from the base or just above it. |
............ ............ 13 Leaves averaging (1.5) 2-2.5× as long as wide, usually with a purple border (or not, in E. species 1); upper leaves and main inflorescence branches often alternate (opposite in E. species 1). |
............ ............ ..14 Leaves prominently 3-veined, the 2 lateral veins diverging (3-) ca. 5 (-7) mm above the leaf base; leaves usually purple-bordered; inflorescence branches (and upper leaf nodes) often alternate |
............ ............ ..14 Leaves prominently 3 (-5) veined, the 2 (-4) lateral veins diverging at or < 2 mm above the leaf base; leaves green-bordered; inflorescence branches (and upper leaf nodes) opposite |
............ ............ 13 Leaves averaging 1-2× as long as wide, usually lacking a purple border; upper leaves and main inflorescence branches usually all opposite. |
............ ............ ....15 Leaf base broadly rounded, cordate-clasping; leaves very densely pubescent, the pubescence often harsh; larger leaves usually 4-10 cm long; principal pair of lateral veins diverging from the midrib 2-10 mm above the base of the leaf; toothing of leaf often irregular and coarse |
............ ............ ....15 Leaf base cuneate, broadly cuneate, rounded, or cordate (but not clasping); leaves densely to sparsely pubescent; larger leaves usually 2-6 cm long; principal pair of lateral veins diverging at the base or 2-10 mm above the base of the leaf; toothing of leaf regular and relatively fine. |
............ ............ ......16 Leaf blades mostly 1-1.5 (-1.7)× as long as wide, tending to be obtuse (the apex usually 90º or more), the teeth generally rounded (the 2 sides of each tooth usually distinctly convex-curved, the end of the tooth therefore rounded), the principal pair of lateral veins diverging directly from the base of the midrib |
............ ............ ......16 Leaf blades mostly (1.2-) 1.5-2× as long as wide, tending to be acute (the apex usually 90º or less), the teeth generally rather sharp (the 2 sides of each tooth straight to gently curved, the end of the tooth therefore triangular), the principal pair of lateral veins diverging 2-10 mm above the base of the midrib. |
............ ............ ........17 Leaves broadly cuneate to broadly rounded, thin in texture, the pubescence rather soft and long (and also often sparse), the leaf blade not twisted at base, borne in a horizontal plane, up to 10 cm long and 6.5 cm wide; axillary fascicles lacking |
............ ............ ........17 Leaves cuneate to broadly cuneate, firm in texture, the pubescence rather harsh and short, the leaf blade twisted at the base, thus borne in a partially or fully vertical plane, up to 5.5 cm long and 3 cm wide; axillary fascicles regularly present |
............ ....9 Leaf bases narrowly cuneate, the leaves generally broadest near the middle or toward the tip. |
............ ............ ..........18 Plants from conspicuously tuberous-thickened (ca. 1 cm in diameter) horizontal rhizomes; leaves deflexed, spreading, or ascending. |
............ ............ ............ 19 Leaves 15-30 mm wide, spreading or ascending. |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaves sessile, with the major lateral veins diverging basally; tuberous rhizomes whitish; all heads with 5 flowers; [maritime and inland habitats, NC (?) southwards and westwards to FL and AL] |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaves usually short-petiolate (petioles > 5 mm long), with the major lateral veins diverging distal to the base; tuberous rhizomes often pinkish; some heads with more than 5 flowers; [maritime habitats in ne. NC and e. VA] |
............ ............ ............ 19 Leaves 2-12 mm wide, deflexed to erect-ascending. |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Stems 3-6 (-7) dm tall, often erectly branching from near the base; involucres 3-4 mm high, the bracts with rounded apices |
............ ............ ............ ....21 Stems (6-) 10-15 dm tall, not branching near the base; involucres 5-7 mm high, at least some of the inner bracts with acute apices |
............ ............ ..........18 Plants from crowns or caudices; leaves usually spreading or ascending (not deflexed). |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Plants generally with numerous branches from at or near the base, the axillary shoots of the lower internodes elongating; leaves 2-5 cm long, oblanceolate. |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Leaves broadly oblanceolate, 5-15 mm wide, crenate or serrate in the upper half |
............ ............ ............ ........23 Leaves narrowly oblanceolate, 3-8 mm wide, entire or remotely serrate apically |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Plants generally simple below the middle, the axillary shoots of the lower nodes not elongating (except in response to injury of the main stem); leaves 3-12 cm long, lanceolate or linear. |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Leaves mostly 6-40× as long as wide, the larger ones usually < 10 mm wide, ranging from 1-12 mm wide, whorled or opposite (rarely alternate above). |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate, the principal leaves 2-7 cm long, 1-5 mm wide, 10-40× as long as wide, entire to obscurely toothed, the leaves mostly in whorls of 3 or 4 |
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Leaves lanceolate, the principal leaves 5-12 cm long, 5-10 (-12) mm wide, 6-15× as long as wide, conspicuously and divergently toothed, the leaves mostly opposite or in whorls of 3 |
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Leaves mostly 2.5-7× as long as wide, the larger ones > 10 mm wide, ranging from 8-30 mm wide, opposite, alternate, or whorled. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Involucre 2.5-4 mm high; leaves obtuse to acute, elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate, the 2 main lateral veins separating from the midrib about 1 cm above the base; leaves commonly 3 per node |
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Involucre 4.5-7 mm high; leaves acute to attenuate-acuminate, lanceolate, the 2 main lateral veins separating from the midvein at the base; leaves rarely 3 per node. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Leaves 3-5 cm long, 5-13 mm wide; leaf surfaces generally glabrous; [of AL westward] |
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Leaves 5-12 cm long, 5-20 mm wide; leaf surfaces short or long puberulent; [widespread]. |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaf surfaces glandular-punctate, densely puberulent on the surfaces and veins, the hairs fairly long and curling or twisted (as seen with at least 10× magnification); stem densely puberulent; leaves entire to serrate, the teeth varying from obscure to sharp, generally about 1 mm long (measured on the side toward the leaf apex), rarely to 3 mm long, generally forward-pointing; leaves acuminate to acute, the terminal portion not strongly attenuated, and about as likely to have teeth as the rest of the margin |
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaf surfaces densely glandular-punctate, sparsely puberulent (mainly on the veins), the hairs short; stem sparsely puberulent; leaves serrate to pinnatifid, the teeth often 1-5 mm long (measured on the side toward the leaf apex), often salient or divergent; leaves attenuate-acuminate, the terminal 1/3 extended and generally entire |