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| 1 Leaves grasslike, linear-lanceolate, never lobed, > 10× as long as wide, the basal with blade 10-20 cm long and < 1 cm wide; [of Coastal Plain, of s. GA southward and westward]. |
| ..2 Plant with 1 head; rays red, orange, or maroon, 1.0-1.5 cm long; plant pubescent |
| ..2 Plant with several heads; rays yellow, 1.5-3.5 cm long; plant glabrous |
| 1 Leaves broader, lanceolate, ovate, or pinnately-cleft, < 10× as long as wide; [collectively widespread]. |
| ....3 Leaves (at least some of the largest and generally more basal) 3-lobed or more divided (except R. laciniata var. heterophylla with sometimes few if any leaves lobed, and these usually the stem leaves). |
| ......4 Disc flowers yellow or yellowish-green; achenes 3.5-6.0 mm long. |
| ........5 Basal and lower stem leaves 1-2-pinnatifid (thus leaf lobes more deeply cleft and leaves therefore appearing more dissected overall), with 5-many lobes; plants 1-3 m tall. |
| ..........6 Achenes 3.5-4.0 mm long; pappus 0.7-1.5 mm long; pales 3.1-4.1 mm long; [of e. VA, DE, MD, and PA northward] |
| ..........6 Achenes 4.2-6.0 mm long; pappus 0.1-0.7 mm long; pales 4.4-6.1 mm long; [widespread in our area] |
| ........5 Basal and lower stem leaves 1-5-lobed (not pinnatifid, occasionally unlobed); plants 0.5-2 m tall. |
| ............ 7 Heads larger, the disc mostly 1.5-2.0 cm wide; rays usually 8 or 13; [of high elevations of the Appalachians, VA and KY south to NC and TN] |
| ............ 7 Heads small, the disc mostly 1.0-1.5 cm wide; rays usually 5 or 8; [of the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, VA south to FL, west to LA] |
| ............ ..8 Leaves lobed; upper leaf surfaces moderately to densely hairy; [widespread in the Coastal Plain] |
| ............ ..8 Leaves sometimes unlobed (basal leaves typically so); upper leaf surfaces sparsely to densely hairy; [of Levy County, FL] |
| ......4 Disc flowers purple-brown; achenes 1.9-3.5 mm long. |
| ............ ....9 Pales acute, hairy near the tip; rays 20-40 mm long |
| ............ ....9 Pales cuspidate, with awn-like tips ca. 1.5 mm long, glabrous; rays 8-30 mm long. |
| ............ ......10 Cauline leaves 1-3-lobed (at least some on a plant 3-lobed). |
| ............ ........11 Ray blades 8-17 mm long; discs 10-15 mm across; [widespread in our area] |
| ............ ........11 Ray blades 18-30 mm long; discs 15-20 mm across; [at moderate to high elevations in the Appalachians] |
| ............ ......10 Cauline leaves 1-7-lobed (at least some on a plant 5-7-lobed). |
| ............ ..........12 Phyllaries > 9 mm long; [of the Mountains of NC, VA, and TN] |
| ............ ..........12 Phyllaries < 7 mm long; [of the Coastal Plain of s. AL and Panhandle FL] |
| ....3 Leaves simple, unlobed, toothed (or entire). |
| ............ ............ 13 Pales (bracts of the receptacle) densely pubescent near the tip. |
| ............ ............ ..14 Plants glabrous or with scattered inconspicuous hairs. |
| ............ ............ ....15 Stem very sparsely spreading-villous (to more conspicuously hairy, and then keyable under 21b); disc to 15 mm high |
| ............ ............ ....15 Stem glabrous; disc elongating in fruit, ultimately 12-60 mm high. |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves strongly blue-green and glaucous, strongly clasping stems. |
| ............ ............ ........17 Plants perennial; cypsela with pappi; rays yellow throughout; [typically in dry habitats] |
| ............ ............ ........17 Plants annual; cypsela lacking pappi; rays basally colored red-maroon; [typically in moist habitats] |
| ............ ............ ......16 Leaves green, not glaucous, not strongly clasping stems. |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Blades of basal leaves 15-60 cm long, 2-8 cm wide, avg. 7× as long as wide; paleae 5-6 mm long, the apices acute to acuminate; achenes 3-5.5 mm long; [native of pitcherplant bogs and wet flatwoods of e. GA and ne. FL west to s. AL] |
| ............ ............ ..........18 Blades of basal leaves 15-50 cm long, 3-9 cm wide, avg. 5× as long as wide; paleae 6-8 mm long, the apices acute; achenes 5-7.5 mm long;; [native of coastal prairies and wetlands in LA and TX] |
| ............ ............ ..14 Plants conspicuously hirsute or pilose. |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Plants perennials from a woody rhizome; pappus a low crown; style appendages short, blunt. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Disc 10-15 mm across; rays 6-12, mostly spreading, 15-25 mm long; leaves not folded longitudinally |
| ............ ............ ............ ..20 Disc 15-25 mm across; rays 12-25, mostly reflexed, 30-50 mm long; leaves folded longitudinally. |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Stem hairy only on the upper stem, the hairs ascending and < 0.5 mm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ....21 Stem hairy throughout, the hairs spreading on the lower stem, ascending on the upper stem and ca. 1.0 mm long |
| ............ ............ ............ 19 Plants annuals, biennials, or perennials from fibrous roots; pappus lacking or a low crown to 0.1 mm high; style appendages elongate, subulate (R. hirta) or short, acute to obtuse (R. mollis). |
............ ............ ............ ......22 Stems and leaves softly pilose to woolly; style branches short, acute to obtuse; [plants of dry sands of the Coastal Plain of SC southward] |
| ............ ............ ............ ......22 Stems and leaves with coarse and stiffish hairs; style branches elongate, subulate; [plants collectively widespread in our area]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Stems leafy mainly toward the base, branched mainly near the middle; peduncles usually ½ the height of the plants; [of the Coastal Plain] |
| ............ ............ ............ ........23 Stems leafy throughout, branched mainly well above the middle; peduncles < 1/3 the height of the plants; [collectively widespread]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Basal leaves broadly elliptic to ovate, 2.5-7 cm wide, mostly ca. 2× as long as wide, with coarsely serrate margins; rays typically yellow or tinged orange throughout; [mostly undisturbed woodlands and fields, Appalachian highlands westward to IL] |
| ............ ............ ............ ..........24 Basal leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate 1-2.5 (-5) cm wide, mostly 3-5× as long as wide (or basal leaves absent), with entire to serrate margins; rays typically yellow with maroon, brown, or reddish bases; [disturbed areas OR glades and similar dry habitats, e. US westward]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Plants annual; lacking basal tufts of leaves; cauline leaves with consistent size; lower leaves sessile or subsessile; [sandstone glades, other dry areas, IL and IN south to MS and TX] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Plants biennial or short-lived perennials; with basal tufts of leaves; cauline leaf size gradually decreasing along stem; lower leaves petiolate; [disturbed areas, widespread] |
| ............ ............ 13 Pales (bracts of the receptacle) glabrous or nearly so (except sometimes for a minutely ciliate margin). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Pales cuspidate, with awn-like tips ca. 1.5 mm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Cauline leaves 1-3-lobed (at least some on a plant 3-lobed). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Ray blades 8-17 mm long; discs 10-15 mm across; [widespread in our area] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Ray blades 18-30 mm long; discs 15-20 mm across; [at moderate to high elevations in the Appalachians] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Cauline leaves 1-7-lobed (at least some on a plant 5-7-lobed). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Phyllaries > 9 mm long; [of the Mountains of NC, VA, and TN] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Phyllaries < 7 mm long; [of the Coastal Plain of s. AL and Panhandle FL] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Pales obtuse to acute. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Larger leaves < 2 cm wide |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Larger leaves > 2 cm wide. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Stem leaves auriculate or auriculate-clasping. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Plants 2-3 m tall; stem leaves strongly auriculate-clasping; paleae 4-6 mm; [sandy stream banks, wet roadsides in AL, FL, and GA] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Plants 2 m tall or less; stem leaves weakly auriculate, not clasping; paleae 6-8 mm; [seepages in w. LA and e. TX] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Stem leaves petiolate or sessile, but not auriculate-clasping. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Basal leaves with bases cordate (some may be merely rounded); upper stem leaves notably reduced in size relative to the lower stem leaves. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Paleae eciliate; rays 25-40 mm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Paleae ciliate; rays 15-25 mm long. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Plants densely clonal, spreading by leafy stolons; lower stems coarsely angled in ×-section, 4-7 mm in diameter; basal leaf blades 9-20 cm long, 4-13 cm wide, 1.6-3.0× as long as wide; [saturated soils of seeps, fens, streambanks, and seepage swamps] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Plants solitary, lacking leafy stolons; lower stems rounded or nearly so in ×-section, 1.5-3.0 mm in diameter; basal leaf blades 7.5-10 cm long, 5-6.5 cm wide, 1.0-1.6× as long as wide; [mesic soils of forests] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Basal leaves with bases cuneate to broadly cuneate or rounded; upper stem leaves similar in size to the lower stem leaves. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Paleae ciliate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Stem leaves elliptic to ovate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Stem leaves spatulate to oblanceolate |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Paleae eciliate (erose to minutely toothed, rarely with 1-2 cilia). |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Leaves elliptic to ovate. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Rays 6-12 mm long; stem and leaves with appressed soft hairs; flowering heads opening during mid-July to mid-August |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Rays 16-23 mm long; stem and leaves with spreading pustulate hairs; flowering heads opening during early August to mid-September |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Leaves narrowly lanceolate to linear. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Stems and leaves nearly smooth; upper stem leaves entire or slightly toothed, auriculate at the base; [dry rocky glades and woodlands] |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Stems and leaves hirsute; upper stem leaves coarsely toothed to laciniately lobed; [mesic to wet meadows, fens, marshes, and stream banks]. |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Stems densely hirsute, the hairs retrorse; rays 15-25 mm long |
| ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Stems sparsely hirsute, the hairs spreading; rays 20-40 mm long |