Flora of North America species comparison

creeping, not producing dense clumps, covered with remains of old leaves, slender to moderately thick, 0.5–0.9 cm diam.;

roots fibrous.

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

roots numerous, fleshy.

simple, solid, 0.5–3 dm.

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

basal deciduous, blade pale green, not pink basally, 2–4.5 dm × 0.2–0.6(–1) cm, sometimes glaucous, margins not thickened;

cauline usually 1–several, spreading, sheathing 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.

1–2(–3)-flowered;

spathes divergent, separated by 1.5–4 cm, linear to linear-lanceolate, unequal, outer 5–11 cm × 4–7 mm, inner 5–6 cm × 2–3 mm, herbaceous, apex acute.

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 lavender, cream, or pale to deep yellow;

floral tube funnelform, 0.5–1(–1.5) cm;

sepals oblanceolate, 4–7 × 1.4–2 cm, base gradually attenuate;

petals narrowly oblanceolate, 3.5–6 × 0.5–1.1 cm, widest at about 1/2 their length, base abruptly attenuate, claw 1–2 mm wide;

ovary nearly cylindrical, 1–2 cm;

style 1.6–3 cm, crests overlapping, obtusely angled, 0.5–1.1 cm;

stigmas acutely triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 0.5–2.5 cm at anthesis, lengthening to 3.5–7.5 cm at maturity.

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-oval, 3-angled, tapering abruptly at either end, 2–3 cm.

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

brown, irregularly D-shaped, wrinkled.

dark brown, globular, wrinkled.

= 40.

= 86, 88.