[*][*] Stem scape-like, with a few bract-like leaves or naked.
2. E. tomentòsus, L. Somewhat hairy; basal leaves obovate to narrowly spatulate, silky and prominently veined beneath; heads large; pappus-scales attenuate.—Va., Ky., and southward.
3. E. nudàtus, Gray. Strigose-puberulent; basal leaves thin, green, spatulate-obovate or oblanceolate, not prominently veined beneath; heads smaller; pappus scales broadly deltoid.—Del. and southward.
2. VERNÒNIA, Schreb. Iron-weed.
Heads discoid, 15–many-flowered, in corymbose cymes; flowers perfect. Involucre shorter than the flowers, of many much imbricated scales. Receptacle naked. Achenes cylindrical, ribbed; pappus double, the outer of minute scale-like bristles, the inner of copious capillary bristles.—Perennial herbs, with leafy stems, alternate and acuminate or very acute leaves and mostly purple flowers. Species very difficult. (Named for Wm. Vernon, an early English botanist who travelled in this country.)
[*] Heads large, 50–70-flowered.
1. V. Arkansàna, DC. Tall, rather glabrous; leaves linear-lanceolate, retrorsely denticulate; involucre very squarrose, the scales with long filiform tips.—Mo., Kan., and southward.
[*][*] Heads ½´ high or less, 15–40-flowered.
[+] Leaves narrowly linear, glabrous, veinless, mostly entire.
2. V. Jamèsii, Torr. & Gray. Low, nearly glabrous; heads few-flowered; scales obtuse or acute.—Plains of Neb. and southward.