Saussurea americana
Bot. Gaz. 6: 283. 1881.
Plants 30–120+ cm; rootstocks short, stout; herbage loosely tomentose when young, glabrescent, sometimes ± glandular. Stems 1–many, leafy, simple or with ascending branches. Leaves cauline, usually more than 20, well distributed, proximal and mid with winged petioles to 6 cm, wings sometimes decurrent 1–2 cm on stems, blades lanceolate to triangular-ovate, 5–15 cm, bases cordate to truncate or tapering, margins sharply dentate, apices acute; mid and distal usually sessile, smaller, narrower, bases tapering. Heads 5–30+ in tight to open corymbiform arrays; (peduncles 0–5 cm). Involucres 10–15 mm. Phyllaries in ca. 5 series, strongly unequal, outer ± ovate, inner lanceolate, abaxial faces pale green, distally dark purplish to nearly black, loosely tomentose. Receptacles naked. Florets 8–21; corollas usually pale lavender-blue to dark purple (rarely white), 11–13 mm; tubes 5–6.5 mm, throats 1.5–2 mm, lobes 3.5–4 mm. Cypselae 4–6 mm; pappus bristles brownish, outer 3–7 mm, inner 9–10 mm.
Phenology: Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat: Moist canyons, meadows, streamsides in montane forests
Elevation: 1000–2600 m
Distribution
Alta., B.C., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash.
Discussion
Saussurea americana is closely related to an Asian species, S. foliosa Ledebour.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"fine" is not a number.