Flora of North America species comparison

compact, greenish brown or sometimes red-tinged, many-branched, with ringlike scars of old leaves, 1.5–2 cm diam.

many-branched, forming dense clumps, 2–4 cm diam., usually covered with remnants of old leaves;

roots fleshy.

simple or sometimes 1–2-branched, solid, 3–9 dm.

rather weak, often falling over after flowering, solid, usually 1-branched, 5–10 dm.

basal arching distally, blade bright green, lightly ribbed, linear-ensiform, 6–10 dm × 1.5–2.5 cm;

cauline subtending branches, blade 4.5–6 dm.

basal erect or often flexible, blade gray-green to bright green, buff to purplish basally, with several prominent ribs in mature leaves, linear-ensiform, 6–8 dm × 2.5–3 cm, apex acute.

1–2-flowered;

spathes unequal, outer green, 10–12 cm, herbaceous, inner 6–8 cm, partly scarious.

2–3-flowered, branch units 1–2-flowered;

spathes compact, often with brown striations, ridged, unequal, outer 3–8 cm, inner 8–14 cm, firm, herbaceous.

perianth copper colored or reddish brown (yellow in forma fulvaurea);

floral tube hollow to ovary, 2–2.5 cm;

sepals widely spreading or arching downward, obovate, with 1–3 prominent veins, 4.5–5.5 cm, glabrous, often with lighter yellow basal signal;

petals spreading or declining with sepals, 4–5 × 1.5–2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex deeply emarginate;

ovary green, hexagonal, 1.5–1.7 cm;

style convex, not keeled, 1.8–2 cm, crests reflexed, rounded-triangular, margins shallowly toothed;

stigmas 2-lobed, lobes pointed, margins entire;

pedicel 2–4 cm.

perianth lavender to violet, rarely white;

floral tube constricted above ovary, 1–2 cm;

sepals spreading and arched, pale blue to purple with darker blue or purple lines, obovate to oval, 4–8.4 × 1.6–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate, claw green in median, bordered by yellow ground with blue or purple lines, yellow extending onto base of limb as finely pubescent signal patch;

petals oblong-lanceolate to oblong-spatulate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, claw greenish yellow with blue or purplish lines, apex often emarginate;

ovary trigonal, 1.3–3.8 cm;

style inwardly auriculate at convergences, 3–4.5 cm, crests reflexed, 0.7–2 cm;

stigmas unlobed, with prominent triangular tongues, margins entire;

pedicel 2.5–8 cm.

remaining green even after seeds mature, oblong-elliptic, hexagonal in cross section, with 6 equally spaced ribs, short beak, 4.5–8 × 2.5 cm.

ovoid, ellipsoid, or long-cylindric, trigonal or polygonal in cross section, 3–6 × 1–2 cm.

in 2 rows per locule, irregular, flattened, 10–15 mm, corky.

in 2 rows per locule, pale brown, usually D-shaped, 5–8 mm, pitted, corky.

= 42.

= 70, 72.