Flora of North America species comparison

2-80 cm, tuberlike or fibrous, dry or fleshy;

buds often less than 3 mm.

(17-)30-60(-100) cm;

base reddish or not, glabrous to puberulent.

1-8(-19) per root;

base firmly attached to root or not.

blade pentagonal, 0.7-5 × 1-8 cm, glabrous to puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-18, width 2-18 mm (basal), 0.5-8 mm (cauline).

cauline and/or in basal rosette, gradually or abruptly reduced into bracts.

(6-)10-40(-74)-flowered, cylindric;

pedicel ascending-spreading, (0.3-)1-2.5(-4.8) cm, glabrous to puberulent;

bracteoles 2-5(-10) mm from flowers, green, lance-linear, 2-6(-16) mm, glabrous to puberulent.

sepals dark blue to white to pink, often puberulent, lateral sepals reflexed or spreading, (7-)9-13 × 2-7 mm, spurs ± decurved, ascending 20-45° above horizontal, 7-15 mm;

lower petal blades ± elevated, exposing stamens, blue or white to pink (concolorous with sepals), 3-6 mm, clefts 1-3 mm;

hairs mostly near base of cleft, centered or on inner lobes, white.

sepals blue, purple, white, red, or yellow;

lower petal blades often same color as lateral sepals, usually greater than 1/5 length of lateral sepals (exceptions in red- and yellow-flowered species).

9-21 mm, 2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent.

seed coat cells ± brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces roughened.