Key to Heterotheca

View taxon page for Heterotheca

(For a list of species in Heterotheca, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Ray flowers 0; outer disk pappus scales few – generally dry streambeds ..... H. oregona

2. Leaves of branches sparsely hairy or scabrous, ± densely glandular

3. Leaves of branches generally > 13 mm, > 3 mm wide, sparsely hairy; outer phyllaries lance-deltate; NW, CW ..... var. oregona

3' Leaves of branches generally < 13 mm, < 3 mm wide, ± scabrous; outer phyllaries ovate-deltate; SnJV, CW ..... var. scaberrima

2' Leaves of branches ± densely hairy, sparsely glandular

4. Stem generally branched proximal to middle; leaves long-soft-hairy and ± densely bristly, appearing gray-green; NW, CaR, n&c SNF, n SNH, SnJV, CW ..... var. compacta

4' Stem generally loosely branched distal to middle; leaves short-bristly, appearing green; NW, n SNF, CW ..... var. rudis

1' Ray flowers present; outer disk pappus scales generally many

5. Ray fruit ± glabrous or minutely 

puberulent 

Minutely hairy.

; ray pappus 0; annual to short-lived 

perennial 

Completing life cycle (germination through death) in more than two years or growing seasons, generally non-woody (at least above ground) to woody; includes perennial herbs as well as subshrubs to trees; the abbreviation 'per' only refers to perennial herb, not to the word 'perennial' alone.

 herb

6. Distal leaves not clasping; ± CA-FP ..... H. grandiflora

6' Distal leaves clasping; Teh, SCo, e DSon ..... H. subaxillaris subsp. latifolia

5' Ray fruit hairy; ray pappus present; perennial herb

7. Disk corolla 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

± glabrous or sparsely minutely 

strigose 

With stiff, straight, sharp, appressed hairs.

; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

stiff-hairy, margins flat or inrolled – CaR, SN, MP, sw DMtns

8. Stem generally 5–13 dm; mid-stem leaves lance-triangular, margin generally ± inrolled; inner pappus bristles <= disk corolla; s SNF ..... H. shevockii

8' Stem (1)2–5 dm; mid-stem leaves (ob)lanceolate or narrowly lance-triangular, generally flat; inner pappus bristles generally >= disk corolla ..... H. villosa

9. Mid-stem leaves (ob)lanceolate, ± moderately strigose (not bristly), glandular; CaR, SN, MP ..... var. minor

9' Mid-stem leaves narrowly lance-triangular, ± sparsely scabrous to bristly, ± densely glandular; sw DMtns ..... var. scabra

7' Disk corolla lobes generally sparsely short- to long-hairy (coastal or SnFrB plants sometimes ± glabrous); leaf stiff- or soft-hairy, margins often wavy

10. Stem 9–18 cm; distal leaves narrowly oblanceolate, little reduced, bases tapering; SN ..... H. monarchensis

10' Stem generally 20–70(130) cm; distal leaves narrowly to widely 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

(if oblanceolate then corolla 

lobe 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

 hairs to 1 mm), generally reduced, bases rounded; Teh, CW, SW ..... H. sessiliflora

11. Margins of distal leaves flat to weakly wavy, leaf hairs ± 2 mm

12. Proximal stem sparsely woolly; distal leaves oblanceolate, little reduced, flat, strigose to long-woolly; c&s NCo, n CCo, SnFrB ..... subsp. bolanderi

12' Proximal stem bristly; distal leaves 

elliptic 

In the shape of a flattened circle or ellipse; wider than linear

to lanceolate, generally much reduced, occasionally ± wavy-margined, strigose and bristly; generally inland c&s California ..... subsp. echioides

11' Margins of distal leaves distinctly wavy, leaf hairs ± 1 mm

13. Head not subtended by leaf-like bracts; distal leaves ± white, stiff; SCo, TR, PR, w D >= 100 m ..... subsp. fastigiata

13' Head subtended by large leaf-like bracts; distal leaves green, not stiff; s CCo, SCo < 60 m ..... subsp. sessiliflora

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