Flora of North America species comparison

fleshy, stout, tufted.

cespitose, usually erect to ascending (rarely decumbent, rooting at nodes).

decumbent to scandent.

leaf sheath auriculate at apex;

blade sessile or petiolate, linear to lanceolate (rarely lanceolate-ovate), 5–15 × 0.3–4 cm, apex acuminate (rarely acute).

blade narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, lanceolate-elliptic or ovate, 1.5–14 × 0.5–3.3 cm, margins scabrous, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous.

distal cyme vestigial, included;

spathes solitary or clustered, green, pedunculate, not at all to strongly falcate, 1–2.5(–4) × 0.7–1.5(–2.5) cm, margins longly connate, glabrous except along connate edge, apex acute to acuminate, sometimes purple, usually variously pubescent;

peduncles 0.5–1(–2) cm.

distal cyme 1–several-flowered, usually exserted;

spathes solitary, bright green, without contrasting veins, pedunculate, usually distinctly falcate, (0.5–)0.8–4 × 0.4–1.2(–1.4) cm, margins distinct, glabrous or scabrous, sometimes also sparsely ciliate or ciliolate basally, apex usually acuminate, usually glabrous or nearly so;

peduncles 0.5–2(–4) cm.

bisexual and staminate, 1.5–4 cm wide;

proximal petal minute, white, distal petals blue (rarely lavender or white);

staminodes 3, staminodes and medial stamen entirely yellow;

antherodes cruciform.

bisexual and staminate;

petals all blue (rarely all lavender), proximal petal smaller;

medial stamen anther connective usually with transverse band of violet;

staminodes 2–3;

antherodes yellow, medial often absent or vestigial, cruciform.

3-locular, 2-valved (very rarely 3-valved), 3.5–4.5 × 3–5 mm;

abaxial locule warty, indehiscent (very rarely smooth and dehiscent);

adaxial locules smooth, dehiscent.

3-locular, 2-valved, 4–6.3 mm.

3, brown, with soft, whitish tissue at both ends or in a band, 2.4–3.5 × 2.3–2.8 mm, nearly smooth.

5 (or less through abortion), brown, 2–2.8(–3.2) × 1.4–1.8 mm, deeply reticulate.

= 60.