Eryngium gracile Delar.

Eryngium gracile Delar. f. Eryng. 54. 1808
Eryngium longirameum Turcz. Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 20': 171. 1847.
Eryngium planum Sesse & Moc. Fl. Mex. 82, in part. 1894. Not E. planum L. 1753.
Eryngium paucisquamosum Hemsl. in Hook. Ic. pi. 2505. 1897. Slender, caulescent, glabrous perennials, 2.5-9 dm. high, from a cluster of woody-fibrous roots, the stems erect, branching above; basal leaves ovate to oblong, 3-8 cm. long, 2-5.5 cm. broad, deeply cordate to rounded at the base, obtuse at the apex, callous-margined, crenate or shallowly crenate-serrate, the venation palmately reticulate; petioles narrowly sheathing at the base, 0.2-3 dm. long, usually exceeding the blades; cauline leaves few, the lower like the basal, the upper greatly reduced, sessile, opposite; heads solitary at the end of the stem or branches small, pedunculate, the flowers numerous; heads bluish, globose, 4-7 mm. in diameter; bracts 8-12, chartaceous, ultimately reflexed, oblong or oblong-oval, 4—15 mm. long, 2-5 mm. broad, obtuse or abruptly acute, entire or with a few minute spinulose teeth, amethystine or glaucous above and green beneath, greatly exceeding the heads; bractlets subulate, 3-4 mm. long, dilated at base, entire, slightly exceeding the fruit; coma wanting; sepals lanceolate, 1-1.5 mm. long, acute, mucronulate, entire; petals oblong-spatulate, about 1 mm. long; styles slender, exceeding the sepals; fruit globose, 1.5-2 mm. long, with a few small bluish lanceolate calycine scales, the dorsal scales few or none.
Type locality: "In locis hutnidis novae Hispaniae," collector unknown.
Distribution: Michoacan to Chiapas and Guatemala (Ghiesbreght S06,Pringle49W, Skutch 120S).