Ampelaster

Shrubs, 100-400 cm (clambering, sprawling, or vinelike, deciduous or evergreen by production of new growth; sometimes clonal by adventitious roots on branches in contact with soil, these becoming separated). Stems scandent, widely and diffusely branched, sparsely to densely short-pilose or hirsute, especially distally, eglandular. Leaves cauline; alternate; sessile; blades 1-nerved, elliptic or oblanceolate to lanceolate or ovate, margins entire, faces sparsely to moderately pilose. Heads radiate, in paniculiform arrays. Involucres turbino-campanulate, 8-12 × 8.5-21 mm. Phyllaries 30-50 , in 5-6 series, spreading to reflexed, 1-nerved (midnerves ± raised, especially proximally, ± translucent yellow-brown to golden brown, less prominent distally; ± flat) , outer linear-lanceolate to spatulate, inner linear-attenuate , strongly unequal, proximally whitish, herbaceous distally (green zone restricted to apical ¹ / 4 or less), margins hyaline proximally (sometimes reddish), abaxial faces sparsely to moderately pilose. Receptacles flat to slightly rounded, pitted (margins irregular), epaleate. Ray florets 30-50(-70), pistillate, fertile; corollas pale rose-purple to pale pink. Disc florets 30-50, bisexual, fertile; corollas yellow becoming rose-purple, weakly ampliate, tubes shorter than narrowly cylindro-campanulate throats, lobes 5, erect, triangular; style-branch appendages narrowly triangular. Cypselae narrowly cylindric to fusiform, not compressed, 9-12-ribbed (whitish, raised), faces glabrous; pappi persistent, of 30-45, light stramineous to faintly rust-orange, barbellate bristles in 2(-3) series (outermost of 0-5 midlength attenuate bristles, outer of long, distally attenuate ones, slightly shorter than inner weakly clavate ones). x = 9.