Flora of North America species comparison

freely branching, forming large colonies, slender, 0.8–0.9 cm diam., covered with remains of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

many-branched, forming dense, cespitose clumps with many crowded fans with persistent old leaf bases, 3–5 × 1.3–1.5 cm.

1–4-branched, solid, 1.5–7 dm.

several to many from a single clump of fans, simple, 0.5–6 dm.

basal with blade yellow-green, occasionally darker green, sometimes flushed pink or red basally, prominently ribbed, linear, 4.5–10 dm × 2 cm, apex acute;

cauline 1–3, reduced.

basal erect or strongly ascending, blade 1–5.2 dm × 0.5–1.4 cm;

cauline 2–4, proximal 2–3 similar to basal leaves, distalmost leaf occasionally borne nearly midway on stem, clasping, blade bracteiform, lanceolate, 0.5–1.5 dm.

(2–)3-flowered, branch units 2–3-flowered;

spathes opposite or separated, divergent, green, sometimes flushed purple basally, lanceolate-acuminate, 6–12 cm × 7–12 mm.

1–2-flowered;

spathes herbaceous, lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 2.5–6 cm, firm, outer spathe apex acute, inner similar or scarious at apex.

perianth deep red-purple, lavender, gray-blue, cream, or white, with gold signal and blue or purple veins;

floral tube 1.5–2.8 cm, usually widening to bowl shape at base of flower;

sepals oblanceolate to obovate, 5–9 × 1.4–3 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex obtusely rounded;

petals oblanceolate, 4.5–7 × 0.9–1.8 cm, base attenuate to narrow claw;

ovary elliptic-oval, sharply triangular in cross section, 3–4 cm;

style 1.7–3.5 cm;

crests overlapping, subquadrate, 1–2 cm, margins coarsely toothed;

stigmas triangular;

pedicel 2–5 cm.

perianth deep to pale blue or blue-violet;

floral tube 0.5–0.75 cm;

sepals broadly rounded, 2.5–4 cm wide, base strongly attenuate to claw, signal diffuse white basal patch;

petals much reduced to insignificant, involute or tubular rudiments, 1–2 cm, apex with short bristle, mostly hidden by sepal bases;

ovary green or flushed purple, acutely trigonal;

style white with purple keel, 2–5 cm, crests overlapping, 2-lobed, subquadrate, margins coarsely serrate;

stigmas rounded-triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 2.5–4 cm.

sharply triangular in cross section with ridge at each angle, tapering at both ends, remnant of floral tube forming tip at apex, 2.5–5 cm.

thin walled, trigonal, with rounded angles and grooved sides, 2–4 cm, apex blunt.

dark brown, pyriform, wrinkled.

in 2 rows per locule, dark brown with prominent white raphe, compressed-pyriform, 4–6 mm, lustrous.

= 40.

= 38.