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.

superficial or very shallow, cordlike portion 1–2 dm × 2 mm, expanding to 10–15 mm diam., nodes with brown, scalelike leaves and few to no roots.

1–4-branched, solid, 1.5–7 dm.

1–2-branched, 3–3.2 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 with blade pale green, 3.2 dm × 1.5 cm, margins scarious basally, apex acute, proximal 2 semi- sheathing, blade 5 cm, scarious;

cauline 1–2, sheathing branch and stem for ca. 1/2 their length, blade ca. 5 cm, semimembranous.

(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.

2–3-branched, each unit with single flower, all borne at approximately the same level;

spathes 2–3 cm × 5 mm, subequal, scarious except basally and along midrib.

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 white or blue tinged with deep violet lines;

floral tube funnelform, 0.3 cm;

sepals oblong-spatulate, 2.8 × 1 cm, apex deeply emarginate, signal an inconspicuous crest with low, yellow, undissected ridge;

petals bluish white, oblanceolate-spatulate, base gradually attenuate into claw;

ovary elliptical, 0.4–0.7 cm;

style 1.8 cm, crests broadly obovate, 0.7 cm, margins erose;

stigmas triangular-acuminate, margins entire;

pedicel 0.4–1 cm, not lifting flower clear of spathes.

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.

depressed-globose, roundly triangular, 0.9–1.5 × 1.2 cm.

dark brown, pyriform, wrinkled.

pale brown, with whitish raphe, D-shaped, pitted.

= 40.

= 28.