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 short, creeping branches, stout, 2–2.5 cm diam., covered with bases of old leaves;

roots numerous, fleshy.

simple, solid, 2–4 dm.

simple or 1–2-branched, solid, 3–6 dm.

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 persistent, blade dark green, turning gray or yellow-brown when drying, veins not prominent, linear, 4–7 dm × 0.6–1 cm, usually longer than stem, glaucous or subglaucous, apex acute;

cauline 2–3, reduced.

2-flowered;

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

3–6-flowered;

spathes distant, inner sometimes 10 cm distal to outer, green, narrowly linear-lanceolate, 8–15 cm × 20–40 mm, herbaceous, margins and apex 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 pale blue-violet or nearly white, with lilac-purple veins;

floral tube funnelform, 0.5–1.3 cm;

sepals spreading, then drooping at apex, white, flecked and veined with violet, obovate, 8–10 × 3–5 cm, base attenuate into narrow claw with prominent yellow ridge, signal a yellowish basal patch;

petals semierect, oblong, 8–9 × 1.5–2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex emarginate, bluntly rounded;

ovary trigonal with central ridge in each face, 2–5 cm;

style narrow basally, widening distally, 3.5–4 × 0.6–1 cm, crests overlapping basally, subquadrate, 1–1.5 cm, margins incised;

stigmas obscurely to prominently 2-lobed, margins crenate;

pedicels stout, 3–9 cm, unequal at anthesis, becoming ± equal at maturity.

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

6-ribbed, oblong-ovoid, tapering to either end, almost round in cross section, 8–9 cm.

dark brown, wrinkled.

dark brown, globular, wrinkled.

= 40.

= 86, 88.