Flora of North America species comparison

thin, rhizomes short, subterranean, bearing cleistogamous flowers produced from base of plant.

thin or tuberous.

ascending to decumbent or occasionally scrambling.

leaf sheaths, not auriculate, often with red hairs at summit;

blade ovate to lanceolate-elliptic, (1–)2–9(–11) × 1–3(–4.5) cm, apex rounded, obtuse or acute, pubescent.

2-ranked or spirally arranged, not glaucous;

blade sessile or petiolate.

distal cyme often exserted and 1-flowered, sometimes vestigial;

spathes often clustered, subsessile (peduncles 1–3.5 mm), funnelform, 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, margins connate basally, pubescent.

terminal, leaf-opposed;

cymes 1–2, enclosed in spathes, proximal cyme several-flowered, distal cyme vestigial or with 1–several staminate flowers;

spathes often filled with mucilaginous liquid, margins distinct or basally connate;

bracteoles usually absent.

chasmogamous flowers bisexual and staminate, subterranean cleistogamous flowers bisexual;

petals of staminate flowers all blue (rarely lilac), proximal smaller;

lateral stamen filaments not winged;

staminodes 2–3;

antherodes yellow, cruciform;

pollen white;

medial stamen pollen yellow.

bisexual and staminate, bilaterally symmetric;

pedicels well developed;

sepals distinct or proximal 2 connate, unequal;

petals distinct, proximal petal often different color than distal 2, smaller or subequal, distal 2 blue (occasionally lilac, lavender, yellow, peach, apricot, or white), clawed;

stamens (5–)6, proximal 3 fertile, medial different in form, size from others, distal (2–)3 staminodial;

filaments glabrous;

antherodes commonly 4–6-lobed;

ovary 2–3-locular, ovules 1–2 per locule, 1-seriate.

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6 mm.

2–3-valved, 2–3-locular.

5, brown or blackish, seeds of adaxial locule 1.7–2.5 mm, shallowly reticulate, farinose.

1–2 per locule;

hilum linear;

embryotega lateral.

= 11–15.

= 22.