Flora of North America species comparison

superficial or only slightly buried in peaty soil, cordlike portions usually 1-branched, 40 cm × 2–5 mm, bearing scalelike leaves at nodes;

nodal roots absent.

many-branched, producing dense clumps, compact, slender, ca. 0.6 cm diam., base covered with remains of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

simple or 1–2-branched, 3–8 dm.

simple, solid, 2–4 dm.

basal with blade slightly ribbed, 3–6 dm × 0.2–0.5 cm;

cauline 1–4, erect.

basal with blade gray-green, usually brilliantly colored basally, drying to unusual gray-green, veins fairly prominent, to 4 dm × 0.7–0.8 cm, often quite glaucous, margins not thickened;

cauline 2–several, spreading, sheathing stem for about 1/2 length, foliaceous, blade not inflated.

1–3-flowered, branch units 1–2-flowered;

spathes pale brown, narrowly lanceolate, 2–4 cm, scarious or partially membranaceous.

2-flowered;

spathes opposite, connivent, often flushed red basally, broadly lanceolate, 5–9 cm × 6–11 mm, subequal.

perianth pale blue or blue-violet;

floral tube 0.2–0.3 cm;

sepals pale violet, veined deep violet basally, ovate, 4–5 × 1.3–2 cm, base abruptly attenuate;

petals lavender, oblanceolate, 3.5–4.5 × 0.7–1.5 cm;

ovary trigonal, sharply angled;

style arched, narrow, 2–3 cm, crests divergent, quadrate, 0.5–0.7 cm, margins serrate;

stigmas sharply triangular;

pedicel somewhat flattened, 3–7 cm, exserted from spathe.

perianth pale creamy yellow with gold or gray veins;

floral tube funnelform, 3–6.2 cm, spreading apically to form wide throat;

sepals horizontally spreading, claw with deep yellow median line, oblanceolate to spatulate, 4.5–7 × 1–2 cm, base gradually attenuate into broad claw;

petals narrowly oblanceolate, 4.3–6 × 0.6–1.4 cm, base gradually attenuate into narrow claw;

ovary elliptical, nearly circular in cross section, 1.5–2.3 cm;

style 2.2–3 cm, crests divergent, linear to narrowly oblong, 1–1.7 cm;

stigmas triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 0.9–2.2 cm at anthesis.

sharply 3-angled, almost winged, 3–4 × 1.2–1.4 cm, concave faces 6–14 mm wide.

oblong, roundly trigonal, distinctly beaked, 2.5–3.5 cm.

in 1 row per locule, buff to dark brown, pyriform, with convex sides, 3–4 mm, smooth.

dark brown, wrinkled.

= 42.

= 40.