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.

extensively branching, to 12 × 0.5–0.7 cm, becoming 1.5–2 cm diam., with coarse, strongly ribbed, brown, scalelike leaves.

1–4-branched, solid, 1.5–7 dm.

simple or rarely 1-branched, 3–7 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 green, often with red-brown margins, lightly ribbed, linear-ensiform, 3–5 dm × 1.5–2.3 cm, glaucous, apex acute;

cauline 2–3, spreading, blade narrowly linear, 0.5–0.7 cm wide, apex acute.

(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-flowered, branch unit (if present) 1-flowered;

spathes covering pedicel, ovary, floral tube, and base of sepals, unequal, outer 3 cm × 10 mm, inner 6 cm × 10 mm.

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 blue-violet;

floral tube with brown striations, funnelform, 2–2.5 cm;

sepals blue-violet with deeper veins, with yellow-white signal, orbicular, 7–8 × 3–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate into whitish claw with yellow-brown veining;

petals mostly hidden by bases of sepals, much reduced, 1.5 × 0.3–0.5 cm, bristle absent;

ovary trigonal, with shallow groove at each angle, 1.5 cm;

style 3.5–4 cm, crests linear to subquadrate, 1–1.8 cm, margins sometimes incised;

stigmas semicircular, margins entire;

pedicel 2–3.5 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.

globose to oblong, obtusely 3-angled, with rounded angles, 2.5–4 × 2 cm, rounded basally, abruptly contracted into beak apically.

dark brown, pyriform, wrinkled.

in 1 row per locule, dark red-brown, semicircular, flattened, 6–8 mm;

seed coat thick.

= 40.

= 40.