These are mostly very aromatic plants, a pleasure to crush in the field and scenting even a herbarium case. The corollas are white, generally dotted or tinged with a pink or purple shade.
1. Main stem (except sometimes at nodes) pubescent only on the angles or glabrous; leaves all or mostly not over 7 mm wide (rarely to 13 mm); outermost bracts of heads pubescent (if at all) only on lower surface and margins.
2. Calyx lobes with distinct subulate tip glabrate at least on upper side; stem glabrous.
P. tenuifolium
2. Calyx lobes with tip not subulate but densely white-pubescent; stem pubescent on angles with spreading and/or incurved hairs.
P. virginianum
1. Main stem pubescent on all sides; leaves often over 7 mm wide; outermost bracts of heads finely pubescent on both surfaces (only on lower surface in P. muticum).
3. Leaf blades on distinct petioles at least 2.5 mm long; inflorescence somewhat open, the branches evident.
P. incanum
3. Leaf blades sessile or essentially so; inflorescence dense and head-like.
4. Principal leaves less than 3 times as long as broad; outermost bracts of heads glabrous on upper surface.
P. muticum
4. Principal leaves over 3 times as long as broad; outermost bracts of heads pubescent on both surfaces.
5. Leaves pubescent beneath on surface as well as veins; involucral bracts merely acute.
P. pilosum
5. Leaves pubescent beneath only on main veins; involucral bracts shortly acuminate.
P. verticillatum
All species found in Pycnanthemum
Citation:
MICHIGAN FLORA ONLINE. A. A. Reznicek, E. G. Voss, & B. S. Walters. February 2011. University of Michigan. Web. May 18, 2022. https://michiganflora.net/genus.aspx?id=Pycnanthemum.