Flora of North America species comparison

freely branching, producing large colonies, stout, 2–3 cm diam., clothed with dark remnants of old leaves;

roots fleshy.

producing fleshy roots, and 2–8 cordlike branches at apex, cordlike portion 2–3 dm × 1–2 mm, gradually enlarging to 8–12 mm diam., nodes with brown, scalelike leaves and rarely roots.

simple or 1–2-branched, solid, 2.5–6 dm.

simple, 2.5–4.5 cm.

basal with blade light green, often white basally, not prominently veined, linear, 4.5–6 dm × 0.3–1.2 cm, glaucous, apex acute;

cauline 2–3, often shed with spent stem, similar to basal leaves, distal may subtend branch.

basal 6–8, proximal 2–3 sheathing, blade light brown with darker brown line along midrib at base, falcate, scarious, distal 4–5 not sheathing, blade green or yellowish green, with few, subprominent veins, broadly ensiform, slightly falcate, to 1.5 dm × 1–2.5 cm, enlarging to 4 dm after anthesis;

cauline 2–3, sheathing, proximal very similar to basal leaves, distal 1 or 2 reduced, herbaceous, blade falcate, not inflated.

with terminal and lateral units (when present) (1–)2–3-flowered;

spathes subopposite to distant, to as much as 3–7.5 cm apart, lanceolate or ovate, keeled, outer usually shorter, 3.5–4 cm, inner 5.5–7 cm, scarious with herbaceous areas basally and along keel, apex acuminate.

1–2-flowered;

spathes green, sharply keeled, somewhat inflated, 2–6 cm, unequal, outer shorter than inner.

perianth blue to lavender to white, veined deeper violet;

floral tube green with purple veins in line with midrib of petals, funnelform, constricted above ovary, 0.5–1.2 cm;

sepals deeply veined lilac-purple, with yellow-white signal at base of limb, claw yellowish white, veined and dotted with purple, obovate, 3.7–7 × 1.2–3.2 cm;

petals slightly divergent, oblanceolate to spatulate, 3.6–7 × 0.5–1.2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex acuminate or rarely emarginate;

ovary trigonal with 6 shallow ridges, 1–2 cm;

style 2.4–4 cm, crests quadrate, 0.7–1.4 cm, margins irregularly toothed;

stigmas 2-lobed, margins entire;

pedicel slender, 1–6 cm at anthesis, increasing to 7.5–8 cm at maturity.

perianth blue, lilac-purple, or white;

floral tube filiform, widening distally, 4–8 cm, lifting expanded portion of flower out of spathes;

sepals spreading, with 3 parallel, toothed, crested ridges on white signal bordered with purple, tapering gradually into claw, 3–6 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex rounded, emarginate;

petals spreading, same color as sepals, oblanceolate, 3–4 × 1–2 cm;

ovary triangular, with shallow groove along each face, 0.6–1 cm;

style 1.5 cm, crests narrowly triangular, 6–9 mm;

stigmas oblong, margins entire;

pedicel 0.7–1.8 cm.

almost circular in cross section, with 6 obvious, equidistant ridges, 4–5 × 1.5 cm.

usually enclosed in spathes, oval, sharply triangular, each angle ridged, 1–1.5 cm.

light brown, nearly globular to pyriform, 4–4.5 mm, wrinkled.

yellowish brown, 3.2–3.5 mm, smooth, with narrow, white appendage wrapped around seed, 3.4–4 mm, quickly drying upon exposure to air.

= 38.

= 24, 32.