Eryngium scaposum Turcz.

Eryngium scaposum Turcz. Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 20 1 : 172. 1847.
Eryngium Nelsoni Coult. & Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 3: 300. 1895. Eryngium longipetiolatum Hemsl. in Hook. Ic. pi. 2504. 1897. Eryngium costaricense H. Wolff. Repert. Sp. Nov. 7: 278. 1909. Eryngium commulalum H Wolff, Repert. Sp. Nov. 8: 306. 1910.
Low, short-caulescent or acaulescent, glabrous perennials, 0.5-3 dm. high, from a fascicle of fibrous roots, the stems solitary to many, erect or ascending, slender, simple below; basal leaves rosulate, spatulate to obovate, 2-10 cm. long, 1-4 cm. broad, cuneate at the base, dbtuse at the apex, callous-margined, crenate or crenate-serrate, the venation reticulate; petioles winged, 1-10 cm. long, shorter or longer than the blades; cauline leaves few, like the basal, the upper reduced, sessile, incised, opposite; inflorescence simple or cymosely fewbranched, the heads few, small, pedunculate, the flowers numerous; heads amethystine, subglobose, 4-8 mm. in diameter; bracts 8-12, chartaceous, ascending, oblong to oblanceolate, 6-15 mm. long, 2-8 mm. broad, obtuse or acute, apiculate, entire or toothed near the apex, blue or greenish beneath and glaucous above, exceeding the heads; bractlets subulate, 2-4 mm. long, entire, acute, about equaling the fruit; coma wanting; sepals ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 2 mm. long, acute or obtuse, mucronate, entire; petals oblong, 1.5-2 mm. long; styles slender, exceeding the sepals; fruit globose-ovoid, 2-3 mm. long, the calycine and lateral scales ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, the dorsal scales few or wanting.
Type locality: Oaxaca, 9000 feet, Galeotti 2766.
Distribution: Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas to Costa Rica (Pringle 4S34, J. D. Smith 7528).