Flora of North America species comparison

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

tuberous.

ascending to decumbent or occasionally scrambling.

erect to ascending.

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.

blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 4–15 × 0.4–1 cm, apex acuminate, glabrous to puberulent.

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.

distal cyme usually 1-flowered, exserted;

spathes solitary, green, often suffused and/or striped with purple, pedunculate, falcate or not, 2.5–8 × 0.7–1.7 cm, margins distinct, scabrous, not ciliate, apex acuminate, glabrous to puberulent;

peduncles 1.5–9.5 cm.

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;

pedicels puberulent;

petals dark blue, proximal petal somewhat smaller;

staminodes 3;

antherodes yellow, cruciform.

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6 mm.

3-locular, 2-valved, 5–6 mm, apiculate.

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

5, brown, 2.2–2.7 × 1.7–2.2 mm, rugose, pitted.

= 22.