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1 Disc flowers yellow, orange, red, or brownish. |
..2 Leaves 1-2× pinnately lobed into linear or filiform segments. |
....3 Pappus of 16-20 scales |
....3 Pappus of 6-10 scales; [historical waif] |
..2 Leaves unlobed, or if pinnately lobed, the segments broad (> 3 mm wide). |
......4 Receptacle paleate |
......4 Receptacle epaleate. |
........5 Pappus scales rudimentary, crown-like |
........5 Pappus scales conspicuous. |
..........6 Phyllaries 25-125 in 3-9 series; receptacles flat or slightly convex |
..........6 Phyllaries 6-25 (-60) in 2-3 series; receptacles globose. |
............ 7 Stems not winged |
............ 7 Stems winged from node to node |
1 Disc flowers pink, purple, or white |
............ ..8 Receptacle paleate |
............ ..8 Receptacle epaleate. |
............ ....9 Disc flowers 1-5 (rarely more) per head. |
............ ......10 Disc flowers white (rarely cream), 3; heads not aggregated into a secondary cluster subtended by bracts; [se. TX] |
............ ......10 Disc flowers lavender to purple, sometimes so lightly so as to be white, 1-4 (-5+); heads aggregated into clusters of 1-40 heads, subtended by 1-3 bracts; [collectively widespread in our region] |
............ ........11 Heads (1-) 10-40 per secondary cluster, borne in corymbiform arrays; bracts subtending clusters (2-) 3, deltate; pappus of 5 (-6) scales, each aristate |
............ ........11 Heads 1-5+ per secondary cluster, borne in spiciform arrays; bracts subtending clusters 1-2, linear, lanceolate, or spatulate; pappus of 6-10 scales, laciniate or aristate |
............ ....9 Disc flowers (2-) 10-100+ per head (at least most heads with >10 flowers). |
............ ..........12 Phyllaries 5-15 (-21) in 1-2 (-3) series. |
............ ............ 13 Involucres 2-3 mm in diameter; flowers 7-10 per head; [Coastal Plain, FL and GA] |
............ ............ 13 Involucres 4-15+ mm in diameter; flowers 20-80 per head; [SC, GA, and FL westwards] |
............ ..........12 Phyllaries 18-many in 5+ series. |
............ ............ ..14 Phyllary tips modified into a spine or into an enlarged, lacerate or pectinate network or fringe; receptacle epaleate, but densely bristly; [tribe Cynareae]. |
............ ............ ....15 Heads discoid, all flowers similar |
............ ............ ......16 Pappus normally of plumose bristles (and keyed elsewhere), but sometimes reduced to scales or awns |
............ ............ ......16 Pappus of an outer setiform scales (appearing as "flattened bristles" |
............ ............ ....15 Heads disciform or radiant, the outer flowers of the head sterile, with long lobes, appearing like false rays |
............ ............ ........17 Plant a perennial; flowers pink to purple, flowering Jun-Oct |
............ ............ ........17 Plant an annual; flowers pale to medium blue, flowering Apr-Jun |
............ ............ ..14 Phyllary tips not so modified, unarmed and unelaborate; receptacle epaleate and naked; [tribe Vernonieae]. |
............ ............ ..........18 Peripheral flowers of the heads enlarged and bilaterally symmetrical, appearing like "false rays" |
............ ............ ..........18 Peripheral flowers of the heads similar to the interior flowers, all disc flowers. |
............ ............ ............ 19 Annuals; cypselas not ribbed |
............ ............ ............ 19 Perennials; cypselas 8-10-ribbed. |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Heads each subtended by 3-8 leafy bracts; pappus of narrow scales only, quickly falling |
............ ............ ............ ..20 Heads not subtended by leafy bracts; pappus of an inner series of scales or bristles and an outer series of bristles, persistent |