32. A. multiflòrus, Ait. Pale or hoary with minute close pubescence (1° high), much branched and bushy; the heads much crowded on the spreading racemose branches; leaves rigid, crowded, spreading, with rough or ciliate margins, the uppermost passing into the spatulate obtuse scales; heads 2–3´´ long; rays white or rarely bluish, 10–20.—Dry sandy soil; common.
[+][+][+] Scales glabrous, closely imbricated (the outer regularly shorter), not coriaceous, with short appressed green tips; branches slender, divaricate or divergent; leaves lanceolate to subulate; heads small (2–3´´ high) and numerous.
[++] Heads scattered, terminating minutely foliose slender branchlets.
33. A. dumòsus, L. Smooth or nearly so, 1–3° high; leaves linear or the upper oblong, crowded, entire, with rough margins; scales linear spatulate, obtuse, in 4–6 rows.—Thickets; common.—A variable species, loosely branched, with small leaves, especially the upper, and an obconical or bell-shaped involucre, with more abrupt green tips than any of the succeeding. Rays pale purple or blue, larger than in n. 34. Runs into several peculiar forms.
[++][++] Heads racemosely unilateral upon very short minutely leafy branchlets.
34. A. vimíneus, Lam. Smooth or smoothish, 2–5° high, bushy; leaves linear or narrowly lanceolate, elongated, the larger ones remotely serrate in the middle with fine sharp teeth; scales of the involucre narrowly linear, acute or acutish, in 3 or 4 rows. (A. Tradescanti, of previous ed.)—Var. foliolòsus, Gray, has linear entire leaves, the ascending branches with more scattered paniculate heads.—Moist banks; very common.—Heads very numerous, and usually crowded, smaller than in the last. Rays white or nearly so.
35. A. diffùsus, Ait. More or less pubescent, much branched; leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, tapering or pointed at each end, sharply serrate in the middle; scales of the involucre linear, acute or rather obtuse, imbricated in 3 or 4 rows. (A. miser, of previous ed.)—Thickets, fields, etc.; very common, and extensively variable. Leaves larger than in either of the preceding (2–5´); the involucre intermediate between them, as to the form of the scales. Rays mostly short, white or pale bluish-purple.—Var. thyrsoídeus, Gray, with ovate-oblong to lanceolate leaves, the branches ascending and often short, and the thyrsoid or spicate-glomerate heads less secund. N. Y. to Ill.—Var. hirsuticaùlis, Gray, the slender stem and the midveins of the long narrow leaves very hirsute. N. Y. and Ky.—Var. bífrons, Gray, a luxuriant form with large thin leaves and rather larger heads loosely disposed on the spreading branches. Ky. to Ill.
[+][+][+][+] Involucre various, the heads when numerous densely or loosely paniculate on erect or ascending branches.
[++] Cauline leaves sessile, but the base not cordate nor auriculate (except in forms of n. 41), nor winged-petiole-like; glabrous or nearly so.
[=] Heads small or middle-sized; scales narrow, in several lengths, the erect green tips not dilated.