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.

superficial or very shallow, cordlike portion 1–2 dm × 2 mm, expanding to 10–15 mm diam., nodes with brown, scalelike leaves and few to no roots.

simple or 1–2-branched, 3–8 dm.

1–2-branched, 3–3.2 dm.

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

cauline 1–4, erect.

basal with blade pale green, 3.2 dm × 1.5 cm, margins scarious basally, apex acute, proximal 2 semi- sheathing, blade 5 cm, scarious;

cauline 1–2, sheathing branch and stem for ca. 1/2 their length, blade ca. 5 cm, semimembranous.

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

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

2–3-branched, each unit with single flower, all borne at approximately the same level;

spathes 2–3 cm × 5 mm, subequal, scarious except basally and along midrib.

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 white or blue tinged with deep violet lines;

floral tube funnelform, 0.3 cm;

sepals oblong-spatulate, 2.8 × 1 cm, apex deeply emarginate, signal an inconspicuous crest with low, yellow, undissected ridge;

petals bluish white, oblanceolate-spatulate, base gradually attenuate into claw;

ovary elliptical, 0.4–0.7 cm;

style 1.8 cm, crests broadly obovate, 0.7 cm, margins erose;

stigmas triangular-acuminate, margins entire;

pedicel 0.4–1 cm, not lifting flower clear of spathes.

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

depressed-globose, roundly triangular, 0.9–1.5 × 1.2 cm.

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

pale brown, with whitish raphe, D-shaped, pitted.

= 42.

= 28.