Flora of North America species comparison

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

ascending to decumbent or occasionally scrambling.

ascending to decumbent.

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 sessile, linear to linear-lanceolate, 2–15 × 0.3–1 cm, glabrous or sparsely hirsute.

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.

proximal cyme ± 2-flowered, distal cyme absent;

spathes solitary, whitish basally, pedunculate, usually slightly falcate, 0.9–2 × 0.4–1 cm, margins distinct, connate basally, apex acuminate, sparsely hirsute;

peduncles 0.3–1.6 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, less than 1 cm wide;

proximal sepals connate, forming cup; paired petals apricot- or peach-colored, proximal petal white, minute;

staminodes 3;

antherodes yellow, cruciform.

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6 mm.

3-locular, 3-valved, 4–5.5 mm.

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

5, brown, 1.9–2.7 × 2–2.4 mm, reticulate.

= 22.

= 56.