240 MISC. PUBLICATION 42 3, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



8. Plants scapose or subscapose, the stem leaves all or nearly all reduced to 

 small, usually scalelike bracts ; all or most of the large f oliaceous leaves 

 usually confined to the basal rosette (12). 

 12. Perianth whitish hispidulous externally, yellow, sometimes fading 

 pinkish; peduncles filiform; scapes usually much-branched (13). 

 13. Outer lobes of the perianth saccate-dilated below; blades of the 

 basal leaves lanate-tomentose beneath; involucres 1 to 1.5 mm. 

 high, glabrous externally or merely ciliolate__ 11. E. thomasii. 

 13. Outer lobes of the perianth not saccate-dilated; blades of the basal 

 leaves mostly villous or loosely floccose, lanate-tomentose beneath 

 only in E. clutei (14). 

 14. Glandular pubescence present on the scapes and often on the 

 peduncles, although sometimes very sparse; peduncles often 

 geniculate; involucres deeply cleft, often to below the middle, 

 glabrous or glandular-puberulent; scapes not inflated; lower 

 bracts often well developed, up to 10 mm. long. 



12. E. GLANDULOSUM. 



14. Glandular pubescence none; peduncles not geniculate; involucres 

 not cleft to below the middle, glabrous outside (15). 

 15. First (and sometimes one or more higher) internodes of the 

 scape usually strongly inflated toward the summit; basal 

 leaves villous, often sparsely so; scapes usually 40 cm. or 

 more long, sparingly branched, the branches ascending at a 

 narrow angle; involucres usually 1 to 2 mm. long, usually 

 with 4 or more flowers, cleft to about the middle; plant 



usually perennial 13. E. inflatum. 



15. None of the internodes strongly inflated (16). 



16. Floccose pubescence none, the basal leaves villous, often 

 sparsely so; scapes usually diffusely many-branched, the 

 branches spreading or ascending at a wide angle; involucres 



0.5 to 1 mm. long 14. E. trichopes. 



16. Floccose pubescence present, at least on the basal leaves; 



scapes few-branched, the branches ascending; involucres 1 



to 1.5 mm. long (17). 



17. Scapes not inflated, not glaucous, these and the leaf blades 



loosely floccose; branches of the scape ascending at a 



narrow angle; leaf blades green above, usually obovate 



and narrowed at base, 2 to 6 cm. long; involucres 1- 



to 3-flowered; perianth less than 2 mm. long. 



15. E. ORDII. 

 17. Scapes slightly inflated (the first internode), glaucous, 

 glabrous; branches of the scape ascending at a wide 

 angle; leaf blades grayish floccose above, densely white 

 lanate beneath, reniform, 1 to 1.5 cm. long; involucres 

 4- or 5-flowered; perianth 2.5 to 3 mm. long. 



16. E. CLUTEI. 

 12. Perianth not whitish hispidulous externally; basal leaves white-lanate, 

 at least on the lower face (18). 

 18. Outer surface of the perianth puberulent, the segments yellow, often 

 with a red central stripe and fading pinkish, the outer lobes not 

 saccate-dilated; peduncles very slender, usually elongate; in- 

 volucres broadly campanulate, often about 10-flowered (19). 

 19. Involucres and bracts glandular-puberulent externally; outer 

 lobes of the perianth oblong-obovate or oblanceolate ; blades 

 of the basal leaves obovate to nearly orbicular, not cordate. 



17. E. pusillum. 



19. Involucres glabrous externally or merely ciliolate; outer lobes of 



the perianth oblong-lanceolate; blades of the basal leaves 



round-cordate or reniform 18. E. reniforme. 



18. Outer surface of the perianth glabrous or very nearly so (20). 



20. Peduncles often slender but not filiform, seldom more and usually 



less than 10 mm. long, sometimes none; scapes glaucous (21). 



21. Involucres hemispheric, glabrous externally, mostly sessile or 



subsessile; perianth yellowish, fading pinkish, the outer 



lobes nearly orbicular, cordate; branches of the inflorescence 



somewhat flexuous or zigzag- _ ^ 19. E. hookeri. 



