Flora of North America species comparison

ascending, 12–50 × 1–5.5 cm;

blade grayish green to yellowish green or green, without bud-prints, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, stiff, adaxially plane or concave toward apex, abaxially convex toward base;

margins straight or undulate, nonfiliferous, conspicuously armed, horny from distalmost teeth to apical spine, teeth single, 2–12(–15) mm, 1–4 cm apart, rarely absent;

apical spine light gray to ivory white, acicular or subulate, 2–20 cm.

ascending to erect, 7–65 × 4–20 cm;

blade glaucous-gray to light green, not cross-zoned, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate or broadly ovate, rigid, adaxially nearly plane to concave toward apex, abaxially convex;

margins straight or undulate, rarely unarmed, teeth single, well defined, 3–7(–8) mm, 1–3 cm apart;

apical spine dark brown to gray, subulate or acicular, 1.5–4 cm.

1.7–5 m. Inflorescences spicate, racemose or narrowly paniculate, open to densely flowered;

bracts caducous, narrowly triangular, 4–8 cm;

lateral branches 50+, horizontal to slightly ascending, comprising distal 1/2–2/3 of inflorescence, shorter than 10 cm.

(2–)3–6 m. Inflorescences broadly paniculate, somewhat open to dense, not bulbiferous;

bracts persistent, triangular, 3–10 cm;

lateral branches (7–)10–36, horizontal to slightly ascending, comprising distal 1/2 of inflorescence, longer than 10 cm.

2–12 per cluster, erect, urceolate, 2.3–4.3 cm;

perianth yellow, tube campanulate, 1–4 × 6.5–11.5 mm, limb lobes connivent, erect, subequal, 7–12 mm;

stamens slightly exserted;

filaments inserted at or 1–3 mm above base of perianth tube, erect, white, 1.3–2.4 cm;

anthers pale yellow, 5–12 mm;

ovary 1.2–2.9 cm, neck constricted, 3.5–8.5(–10) mm.

27–48 per cluster, erect, 4.3–8.1 cm;

perianth pink to red or red to orange in bud, yellow to yellowish green at anthesis, tube campanulate, 6–18 × 11–21 mm, limb lobes erect to ascending, unequal, 13–27 mm;

stamens long-exserted;

filaments inserted (sometimes irregularly) above mid perianth tube to just below rim, erect, yellow or green, 3.5–5.8 cm;

anthers yellow, 12–34 mm;

ovary (2–)3–4.5(–4.8) cm, neck slightly constricted, 4–9 mm.

pedicellate, oblong to ovoid, 1–2.5 cm, apex beaked.

short-pedicellate, ovoid or oblong to obovoid, 2.5–5 cm, apex beaked.

2–4 mm.

7–8 mm.