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.

compact, freely branching, forming dense clumps, 0.9–1.2 cm diam., covered with remnants of old leaves.

simple, solid, 0.5–3 dm.

simple or 1–3-branched, hollow, 6–12 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.

dying back in winter, blade dark green, often tinged pink at base, 4–8 dm × 0.4–0.6 cm.

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.

3–5-flowered, lateral units 2–3-flowered;

spathes brown, to 4 cm, narrow, papery, apex acute.

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 light to dark blue-violet to white;

floral tube with indistinct ribs, circular, ca. 1 cm;

sepals flaring or curving downward apically, widely orbiculate, 5–7 × 2–2.5 cm, base abruptly attenuate into claw with two narrow flanges basally, signal white, semicircular, with dark violet veins basally;

petals erect, narrowly elliptic-obovate, 4.5–5.5 × 1.5–1.8 cm;

ovary roundly triangular, spindle-shaped, 1.5–2 cm;

style pale blue, bluntly keeled, 4–5 cm, crests overlapping, triangular, margins crenate;

stigmas tonguelike projections, triangular;

pedicel 1–15 cm, unequal, later flowers in each spathe with longer pedicel.

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

roundly triangular with low ridges at angles, 3–4.5 × 1–1.3 cm, smooth, apex with extremely short tip, opening only in upper 1/4–1/3 of capsule.

brown, irregularly D-shaped, wrinkled.

in 2 rows per locule, dark brown, D-shaped, flattened, 5 × 3 mm, slightly roughened by small, rounded protuberances.

= 40.

= 28.