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| 1 Disc flowers 33-50 (or more); ray flowers (13-) 20-45; involucre 5-10 mm high; phyllary tips spreading to squarrose. |
| ..2 Phyllaries linear, in 4-7 series; disc flowers 4.0-5.5 mm long; [IL and n. MO south through MO and se. KS to s. AR and se. OK] |
..2 Phyllaries broadly lanceolate, foliaceous, in 3-4 (-5) series; disc flowers 5.8-6.8 mm long; [w. NC and e. TN south to nw. SC and n. GA] |
| 1 Disc flowers (8-) 10-25 (-30); ray flowers 8-20 (-25); involucre 3.8-7 mm high (or to 8 mm high in S. oolentangiense); phyllary tips appressed (or the outer phyllaries loose or spreading). |
| ....3 Cauline leaf blades sessile and cordate-clasping, or petiolate, the petiole strongly dilated to a cordate-clasping base, or both |
| ....3 Cauline leaves not cordate clasping; [collectively widespread]. |
| ......4 Lower stems glabrous; upper stems sparsely hirtellous or pilose. |
| ........5 Basal leaves deeply cordate; phyllaries with lanceolate diamond shaped blaze (2-3× as long as wide), purple to greenish purple |
| ........5 Basal leaves shallowly cordate to truncate; phyllaries with short diamond shaped blaze (1-1.5× as long as wide) or linear-lanceolate-shaped blaze (> 4× as long as wide), green. |
| ..........6 Phyllaries with linear-lanceolate-shaped green blaze (> 4× as long as wide) |
| ..........6 Phyllaries with short diamond shaped green blaze (1-1.5× as long as wide) |
| ............ 7 Plants solitary; [moist habitats, more widespread] |
| ............ 7 Plants colonial by slender rhizomes; [shale in VA] |
| ......4 Lower stems glabrous to sparsely hirsute; upper stems densely hirtellous to hirsute; [mainly west of the Appalachians]. |
| ............ ..8 Phyllaries with short diamond-shaped green blaze (1-1.5× as long as wide); basal and lower stem leaves mostly crenate to entire; upper stem leaves entire. |
| ............ ....9 Plants with only the basal and lower stem leaf blades cordate or subcordate, the midstem and upper leaves not petiolate and with cuneate bases; phyllary faces glabrous; disc flowers (15-) 20-25 (-30) |
| ............ ....9 Plants with nearly all basal and stem leaf blades cordate or subcordate; phyllary faces short-pubescent; disc flowers 16-23 |
| ............ ..8 Phyllaries with elongate green blaze (> 2× as long as wide); basal and lower stem leaves serrate or crenate; upper stem leaves serrate or crenate (to entire). |
| ............ ......10 Plants 4-12 dm tall; cypselas glabrous |
| ............ ......10 Plants 3-8 dm tall; cypselas strigillose |