Perfumeballs

Perennials (sometimes flowering first year), 20–80 cm. Leaves wholly basal or nearly so; petiolar bases 0–3+ cm; blades spatulate to oblanceolate, 3–10(–15) cm × 5–30(–60) mm, pinnatifid, toothed, or entire, glabrous or very sparsely villous with jointed hairs (obscurely, if at all, gland-dotted). Peduncles 15–75+ cm. Phyllaries 22–32, ovate to lance-attenuate, 6–8 mm, nearly glabrous or villous, or at least ciliate, with jointed hairs. Receptacular setae 0 or 0.1–0.5 mm. Ray florets 0 or 7–10; corollas purplish to red, 10–15 mm. Disc florets 40–100+; corollas pinkish to purplish, tubes 1.2–2 mm, throats urceolate, 3–4 mm, lobes narrowly triangular, 1–1.2 mm, jointed hairs 0.3+ mm (style-branch appendages glabrous or glabrate). Cypselae obpyramidal, 2 mm, hairs 2+ mm, inserted at bases and on angles; pappi of 8–10 lanceolate, oblanceolate, or ovate, aristate scales 6–9 mm (scarious bases 4–5 × 1.4–2 mm). 2n = 38, ca. 72.

Agassizia suavis A. Gray & Engelmann, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 1: 49. 1847