This section is from the book "An Illustrated Flora Of The Northern United States, Canada And The British Possessions Vol3", by Nathaniel Lord Britton, Addison Brown. Also available from Amazon: An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 Volume Set..
An annual acaulescent herb, the leaves forming rosettes, the scapes monocephalous. Involucral bracts 5-8, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, remaining erect in fruit. Receptacle naked. Rays yellow, 5-toothed. Achenes turbinate, ribbed. Pappus an outer series of 5 obovate scales, and an inner series of 5 bristles, much longer than the scales. [Greek, referring to the cup-shaped fruiting involucre.]
A monotypic genus of the south-central United States.
Fig. 4048
Krigia occidentalis Nutt. Journ. Acad. Phila. 7: 104. 1834.
Adopogon occidentals Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 304. 1891.
C. occidentalis Standley, Contr. Nat. Herb. 13: 354. 1911.
Scapes tufted, 2'-8' high, usually glandular, at least above, sometimes glabrous, bearing a single head 5"-10" broad. Leaves basal, lanceolate to obovate, entire to pinnatifid, mostly shorter than the scapes; involucre 2"3" high, firm and keeled at maturity, remaining erect; achenes transversely wrinkled; pappus of 5 obovate scales and 5 alternating bristles, or these wanting.
Prairies, southern Missouri and Kansas to Texas. April-May.
 
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