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.

many-branched, producing dense clumps, 3–6 × 1.5–2 cm, covered with remnants of old leaves.

simple, solid, 0.5–3 dm.

1–2-branched, 1.5–9 dm, exceeding leaves;

branches 1.25–1.5 dm proximal to terminal, but bearing flowers on nearly the same level.

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 with blade green with purple tinge basally, prominently ribbed, ensiform, 0.2–0.45 dm × 1–2 cm, ± glaucous distally;

cauline subtending each lateral branch, blade reduced, 0.5–1.5 dm.

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.

2–3-flowered, lateral units usually 2-flowered;

spathes green flushed with purple, foliaceous, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–4.5 cm × 5–7 mm, unequal, inner longer than outer, sometimes 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 dark blue-violet to red-purple with darker veins;

floral tube ca. 0.7 cm;

sepals 4–6 × 3–5 cm, glabrous, base abruptly attenuate to broad claw with undulate margins;

petals much reduced, 1–2 × 0.3–0.4 cm, widest basally, mostly hidden by bases of outer sepals, apex acuminate, with 3–8 mm bristle;

ovary conspicuously 3-angled, inflated at anthesis, 1.3 cm;

style 2.5 cm, crests overlapping, subquadrate, 0.7 cm, margins incised;

stigmas semicircular, margins entire;

pedicel 2.5–4.5 cm, ± equaling spathes.

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

roundly trigonal, 2.5 × 1.3–1.5 cm.

brown, irregularly D-shaped, wrinkled.

in 2 rows per locule, light brown, with prominent raphe, D-shaped, 2–3 mm, very smooth.

= 40.

= 34, 36, 38.