Tragopogon L.
Annual to perennial taprooted herbs. Hairs eglandular, fine, often cobwebby. Stems not branched or sparingly branched below. Lvs basal and cauline, linear to linear-lanceolate, entire, sheathing. Capitula few per stem, terminal on branches. Involucral bracts few, in 1 row, elongating at fruiting, glabrous or with cobwebby tomentum near base. Receptacle areolate, ciliolate; scales 0. Corolla ligulate, yellow or purplish. Style branches filiform, dark. Achenes numerous, pale, fusiform, ribbed, beaked, the outer often muricate; pappus bristles in 2 rows, plumose, sordid, usually inserted on a tomentose annulus, rarely the outer row scale-like.
Key
2
Peduncle swollen just below capitulum (>5 mm thick) at fruiting; outer achenes coarsely muricate to spinulose, 24-35 mm long
Peduncle not swollen (< 3 mm thick) at fruiting; outer achenes weakly muricate, 15-20-(25) mm long
50 spp., mostly temperate Eurasia, 1 in South Africa. Naturalised spp. 3.
