Flora of North America species comparison

fleshy, stout, tufted.

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

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).

basal or cauline, alternate;

sheaths closed;

blade simple, often succulent, margins entire, venation parallel.

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.

terminal or terminal and axillary [sometimes all axillary], sometimes becoming leaf-opposed, cymose (cymes scorpioid), thyrsiform or variously reduced, sometimes umbel-like, sometimes enclosed in spathaceous bracts.

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 or bisexual and staminate on same plants, rarely bisexual and pistillate on same plants [bisexual and unisexual (staminate and pistillate), all on same plants], bilaterally or radially symmetric;

sepals 3, sepaloid [occasionally petaloid], distinct or occasionally connate, usually subequal;

petals 3, deliquescent, petaloid, distinct or connate, equal or unequal;

stamens 6, all fertile or some staminodial or absent (rarely all stamens absent);

anthers with longitudinal [rarely poricidal] dehiscence;

ovary superior, 2–3-locular;

ovules 1-seriate [2-seriate];

style 1, simple, usually slender;

stigma 1, simple [rarely slightly 3-lobed], enlarged or not.

loculicidal capsules [rarely indehiscent or berries].

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

1–several [rarely many] per locule;

hilum dotlike or linear; lidlike embryotega covering embryo.

= 60.