Flora of North America species comparison

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

thin.

ascending to decumbent or occasionally scrambling.

erect to ascending, to 30 cm.

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.

leaf sheaths not auriculate, with colorless hairs at summit;

blade oblong or lanceolate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 1.5–6 × 0.4–1.1 cm, margins strongly undulate, completely glabrous or adaxially sparsely pilose.

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 exserted, 1-flowered;

spathes solitary, pedunculate, strongly inflated, not falcate, 0.7–1.5 × 0.5–0.9 cm, margins connate, often violet, apex acute, sparsely hirsute;

peduncles 0.4–1.1 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.

sometimes cleistogamous and subterranean (not yet seen in our area); chasmogamous flowers bisexual and staminate;

petals blue, proximal one very reduced, conspicuous (blue, rather than white or colorless);

lateral stamens with filaments laterally compressed and ± winged;

antherodes entirely yellow, cruciform.

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6 mm.

3-locular, 2-valved.

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

sometimes 5, brown, usually only 1 abaxial locule seed developing, enclosed in deciduous, muricate, abaxial capsule valve;

seeds of adaxial locule, when present, 2.5 mm, smooth.

= 22.

= 30.