Flora of North America species comparison

erect, clambering or ascending, branched or not.

to 50 cm; scarious leaf sheaths persistent.

succulent, crowded, often rosulate or distichous;

blade margins spiny-toothed or entire.

alternate, rosulate to distichous, 10–50 × 10–70 cm;

blade glaucous-green to variegated with small white or glaucous dots, irregular bands, or blotches, often reddish near apex or margins, lanceolate to ensate, tapering from base to apex, glabrous, margins green, spiny-toothed, teeth 1–1.5 cm apart.

axillary or terminal, paniculate to more often racemose, dense, bracteate.

terminal, usually unbranched, racemose, 10–15 dm, usually covered with scalelike bracts;

racemes cylindrical, dense, 0.5 m;

bracts glabrous or puberulent, with 3 prominent purple veins that are confluent at tips.

usually nodding;

perianth red to yellow;

tepals connate basally to almost entirely into tube;

stamens 3 or 6;

style slender;

pedicel not articulate.

perianth yellow;

tepals prominently 3-veined, connate basally for 1/2 their length, lobes broadly linear to oblong-lanceolate, apex rounded;

stamens 6, included to slightly exserted, slightly unequal;

filaments 2–2.5 cm;

anthers 2.5–4 mm;

style usually exserted;

stigmas not expanded;

pedicel 2.2–3.3 cm.

papery to woody.

somewhat elongate.

= 7.

= 14.