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.

branching, forming extensive clumps, 1.5–2 cm diam., smooth except for narrow leaf scars that completely encircle rhizome.

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

1–3-branched, 6–10 dm.

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.

erect to spreading, blade green (some forms with white or yellow longitudinal stripes), ensiform, 3–6 dm × 3–4 cm, very glaucous, smooth.

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.

with terminal unit 3-flowered, branch units 2–3-flowered;

distal branches subtended by scarious bracts, lower one to 15 cm, herbaceous, green;

spathes completely silvery white, 2–3.5 cm, scarious.

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.

often very fragrant;

perianth light blue-violet to mauve-purple, one form with blue pigment limited as stipples or stitches along margin and/or along veins, with ground color white on both petals and sepals;

floral tube 1–1.3 cm;

sepals slightly reflexed, obovate, 7.8–8.3 × 5–5.3 cm, with wedge-shaped claw marked with brown veins, beard yellow with white tips;

petals blue-violet, in some forms lighter than sepals, with some brown veining at base and on claw, obovate, 8 × 5 cm;

ovary trigonal, 6-grooved, 1–1.5 cm;

style violet, fading paler along margins, keeled along midrib, 2–2.4 × 1 cm, crests rounded, 1.4 cm, apex acute;

stigmas rounded, margins entire;

pedicel very short, 2–3 mm.

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

borne on ends of stems and branches, oblong, trigonal, 6-grooved, 4–5 × 1.5–2 cm.

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

in 2 rows per locule, dark brown, compressed, cubical, wrinkled.

= 38.

= 24.