| | 1. Anthers yellow; herbage ± puberulent above |
| |
| | 2. Herbage densely puberulent above; involucre ± spheric; glands on phyllaries 25–50, very slender |
| H. heermannii |
| | 2' Herbage glabrous or ± sparsely puberulent above; involucre obconic; glands on phyllaries 5–15(20), stout |
| H. obconica |
| | 1' Anthers black; herbage generally not puberulent above |
| |
| | 3. Disk flowers 40–90; ray flowers 8–16; inflorescence clusters dense, heads large; coastal |
| H. macradenia |
| | 3' Disk flowers 9–25; ray flowers 3–7; inflorescence raceme-like, heads small; interior |
| H. virgata |
| | 4. Branchlets slender, gracefully curved; peduncles long |
| subsp. elongata |
| | 4' Branchlets stiffly ascending; peduncles 0 to short |
| subsp. virgata
|