Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of rosette near ground surface, 0.5–2.2 dm, sparsely pubescent proximally, trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2- or 3-rayed, 0.1–0.2 mm, glabrous distally.

usually 1 per caudex branch, arising from center of leaf tufts, elevated above ground surface on woody base, (1.5–)3–7.5 dm, densely pubescent proximally, trichomes short-stalked, usually 4–7-rayed, 0.1–0.3 mm, similarly pubescent distally.

blade linear-oblanceolate, 0.7–2 mm wide, margins entire, ciliate proximally, trichomes to 0.4 mm, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, (2- or) 3–6-rayed, 0.05–0.2(–0.3) mm.

blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, 1–3 mm wide, margins entire, not ciliate, surfaces densely pubescent, trichomes short-stalked, 4–9-rayed, 0.1–0.3 mm.

4–6, not concealing stem;

blade auricles 0.5–1 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves glabrous.

10–30, often concealing stem proximally;

blade auricles absent or, rarely, to 0.5 mm, surfaces of distalmost leaves pubescent.

3–11-flowered, unbranched.

8–25-flowered, usually unbranched.

ascending at anthesis;

sepals glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

petals lavender, 5–6 × 1–1.7 mm, glabrous;

pollen spheroid.

descending at anthesis;

sepals pubescent;

petals usually purple, rarely white, 9–16 × 2–4(–5) mm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous (trichomes scattered abaxially);

pollen ellipsoid.

ascending to divaricate-ascending, straight, 3–8 mm, glabrous.

reflexed, abruptly recurved at base, otherwise straight, 8–16 mm, pubescent, trichomes appressed, branched.

ascending to divaricate-ascending, not appressed to rachis, not secund, straight, edges parallel, 3.5–6.2 cm × 1.2–1.5 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 58–80 per ovary;

style 0.8–1.5 mm.

strongly reflexed, often appressed to rachis, sometimes somewhat secund, straight, edges parallel, 3.3–8 cm × 2.5–4 mm;

valves pubescent throughout;

ovules 68–106 per ovary;

style 0.1–0.3 mm.

uniseriate, 1.1–1.3 × 0.9–1 mm;

wing continuous, 0.05–0.1 mm wide.

biseriate, 1.7–2.8 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

wing continuous, 0.25–0.65 mm wide.