Flora of North America species comparison

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

rhizomes present.

ascending to decumbent or occasionally scrambling.

erect to ascending, to 1 m.

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.

spirally arranged;

leaf sheaths with red hairs at summit;

blade lanceolate-elliptic to lanceolate-oblong, 6–20 × 1–5 cm, apex acuminate.

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 vestigial, included (very rarely 1-flowered and exserted);

spathes clustered, subsessile, funnelform, 1.5–3.5 × 1.2–2 cm, margins connate basally, glabrous (rarely puberulent).

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 (rarely staminate);

petals all pale blue, proximal one smaller;

staminodes 3;

antherodes entirely yellow, cruciform.

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6 mm.

3-locular, 2-valved, (5.5–)6–9 × 3–6 mm.

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

5, brown, (2.4–)3–5(–6) × 2.4–3.1 mm, smooth with a few, shallow, irregular depressions, farinose.

= 30.

= 22.