Jepson eFlora: Key page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera

Key to Leptosyne

View taxon page for Leptosyne

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


1. Perennial herb or shrubstem stout, 3–20 dm; ray  to , much longer than wide; heads, including rays, generally 4–10 cm diam

2. Trunk fleshy, to ± 2 m; stem solid; heads (1)8–20+ per cluster;  6–20 cm ..... L. gigantea

2' Trunk 0; stem hollow; heads generally 2–4 per cluster; peduncle 15–50 cm ..... L. maritima

1' Annual; stem slender, generally 0.5–4 dm; ray oblong to  or obovate; heads 1–7 cm diam

3. Disk fruit pappus scales 2, 1–5 mm; ray fruit glabrous, pappus scales 0

4. Outer phyllaries triangular-ovate; disk pappus scales 2.5–5 mm ..... L. calliopsidea

4' Outer phyllaries  to linear-oblong; disk pappus scales <= 3 mm

5. Disk pappus scales 1.7–2.8 mm;  and disk fruit fused at base, falling together; rays  horizontally in fully opened heads ..... L. bigelovii

5' Disk pappus scales 0.9–1.3 mm; palea free from disk fruit, falling separately; rays  in fully opened heads ..... L. hamiltonii

3' Disk and ray fruits similar, never ciliate; pappus 0 or of 1–2 scales, < 1 mm

6. Leaves ± flat, 1–2-pinnately divided into narrowly oblanceolate  1–3 mm wide; outer phyllary bases with gland-tipped teeth ..... L. stillmanii

6' Leaves or  lobes linear or thread-like, 0.3–1.3 mm wide; phyllary teeth 0

7. Fruit rusty-tan to light brown or ± red, generally blotched with red or black spots near margin at least when young, wings irregularly thickened, corky ..... L. californica

7' Fruit dark brown, shiny, ± glabrous, wings thin ..... L. douglasii




