Flora of North America species comparison

many-branched, producing dense clumps, compact, slender, ca. 0.6 cm diam., base covered with remains of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

with proximal cordlike portion 0.8–2 dm × 2 mm, bearing brown, scalelike leaves and rarely roots, distal portion enlarging to 3–5 × 0.8–1.2 cm, producing fibrous roots, 2–3 brown, sheathing, bractlike leaves, then 8–12 green foliage leaves; usually 2 cordlike rhizomes produced from apex as new growth begins in spring.

simple, solid, 2–4 dm.

simple, 0.8–4 cm.

basal with blade gray-green, usually brilliantly colored basally, drying to unusual gray-green, veins fairly prominent, to 4 dm × 0.7–0.8 cm, often quite glaucous, margins not thickened;

cauline 2–several, spreading, sheathing stem for about 1/2 length, foliaceous, blade not inflated.

basal with blade broadly linear at anthesis, slightly falcate, 4–6 cm × 6–8 mm, enlarging to 16 cm × 10 mm;

cauline with proximal 1–2 resembling basal leaves, 4–6 cm, distal 2 more sheathing of stem, exceeding spathes.

2-flowered;

spathes opposite, connivent, often flushed red basally, broadly lanceolate, 5–9 cm × 6–11 mm, subequal.

1(–2)-flowered;

spathes green, outer closely sheathing inner and enclosing ovary, slightly keeled at midrib, 4.5 cm, ± equal, margins scarious.

perianth pale creamy yellow with gold or gray veins;

floral tube funnelform, 3–6.2 cm, spreading apically to form wide throat;

sepals horizontally spreading, claw with deep yellow median line, oblanceolate to spatulate, 4.5–7 × 1–2 cm, base gradually attenuate into broad claw;

petals narrowly oblanceolate, 4.3–6 × 0.6–1.4 cm, base gradually attenuate into narrow claw;

ovary elliptical, nearly circular in cross section, 1.5–2.3 cm;

style 2.2–3 cm, crests divergent, linear to narrowly oblong, 1–1.7 cm;

stigmas triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 0.9–2.2 cm at anthesis.

perianth sky blue;

floral tube dull yellow, funnelform, 1–2 cm, dilated upward to 4–5 mm diam.;

sepals 2–2.3 × 0.8 cm, tapering gradually into claw, apex emarginate, signal white with deep violet margin, with 3 yellow and white, toothed, low ridges;

petals spreading, narrowly oblanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.4–0.5 cm, shorter and narrower than sepals, apex emarginate;

ovary sharply trigonal, 0.8–1 cm;

style 1–2 cm, crests linear to semiovate, 4 mm, margins crenate;

stigmas rounded, margins entire;

pedicel 0.6–1.5 cm.

oblong, roundly trigonal, distinctly beaked, 2.5–3.5 cm.

roundly triangular, 1.2 × 8 mm, enclosed in spathes.

dark brown, wrinkled.

dark brown, with white appendage spiraled around seed, ca. 3 mm, quickly drying when exposed to air.

= 40.

= 32, 42.