Hulsea

Annuals or perennials, 5–150 cm. Stems erect, simple or branched (aerial shoots often from subterranean caudices). Leaves basal or basal and cauline, proximally whorled, distally alternate; petiolate (at least basal) or sessile; blades mostly lance-linear, oblanceolate, ovate, or spatulate, margins entire, lobed, or toothed, faces thinly lanate to densely woolly (hairs crisped, tangled, or matted, usually 0.8+ mm) and/or gland-dotted, glandular-puberulent, glandular-villous, or stipitate-glandular. Heads radiate, borne singly or in corymbiform arrays. Involucres obconic to hemispheric, 8–26 mm diam. Phyllaries persistent, 14–35(–60+) in 2–4 series (reflexed in fruit, mostly lance-ovate to lanceolate or linear, herbaceous). Receptacles flat, knobby or pitted, epaleate. Ray florets 9–60+, pistillate, fertile; corollas yellow, orange, or red. Disc florets 20–200+, bisexual, fertile; corollas yellow to orange (glabrous or sparsely hairy), tubes shorter than or about equaling cylindric throats, lobes 5, deltate to lance-ovate. Cypselae clavate to linear, compressed (lenticular in cross section), silky-hairy; pappi of 4 (distinct) quadrate to spatulate, equal, subequal, or unequal, erose to laciniate scales (the alternate alike). x = 19.

Distribution

w United States, nw Mexico.

Discussion

Species 7 (7 in the flora).

Selected References

Wilken, D. H. 1975. A systematic study of Hulsea (Asteraceae). Brittonia 27: 228–244.

Lower Taxa

Hulsea algida, Hulsea brevifolia, Hulsea californica, Hulsea heterochroma, Hulsea mexicana, Hulsea nana, Hulsea vestita

Key

1	Basal and proximal cauline leaves gray to grayish green, lanate to woolly (hairs mostly eglandular)	> 2
1	Basal and proximal cauline leaves ± green, mostly glandular-puberulent or glandular villous (sometimes sparsely lanate as well, sometimes woolly in H. nana)	> 3
2	Leaves basal and cauline, blades broadly oblanceolate to spatulate, 6–10 cm; heads 2–5; cypselae 4–6 mm	Hulsea californica
2	Leaves mostly basal, blades spatulate, 1–9 cm; heads 1–2; cypselae 5–10 mm	Hulsea vestita
3	Leaves mostly basal (cauline none or relatively few); heads 1–2 (per basal leaf rosette)	> 4
3	Leaves mostly cauline (basal usually present as well); heads 3–5	> 5
4	Plants (10–)20–40 cm; leaf margins sinuate, lobed, or toothed (lobes or teeth mostly triangular); phyllary apices acute to attenuate; ray florets 28–59	Hulsea algida
4	Plants 5–15(–20) cm; leaf margins lobed (lobes mostly oblong); phyllary apices acuminate to acute; ray florets 12–30	Hulsea nana
5	Ray laminae red to reddish purple (narrowly oblong to linear, ciliate)	Hulsea heterochroma
5	Ray laminae yellow (narrowly elliptic to narrowly lance-oblong)	> 6
6	Ray florets 10–23, corolla tubes hairy	Hulsea brevifolia
6	Ray florets 20–35, corolla tubes glabrous	Hulsea mexicana