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.

freely branching, producing dense clumps, slender, 0.5–0.7 cm diam., covered with bases of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

simple or 1–2-branched, 3–8 dm.

simple, solid, 2–3 dm.

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

cauline 1–4, erect.

basal with blade sometimes pink to red basally, finely ribbed, linear, 3–3.5 dm × 0.5 cm, subglaucous, margins not thickened, apex acute;

cauline 1–3, imbricated, mostly free, bractlike, blade linear-lanceolate, inflated.

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

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

(1–)2-flowered;

spathes often flushed with pink or red, lanceolate, 4–8 cm × 5–10 mm, subequal or unequal and inner somewhat longer than outer, rigid, apex acuminate.

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 cream with distinct veins of lavender, reddish brown, or brown, margins often distinctly crisped;

floral tube funnelform, 3–5.8 cm, slender, then expanding abruptly to base of flower;

sepals spreading outward from base and remaining in horizontal position for entire length, narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4–6.5 × 1.1–1.8 cm, base attenuate into long claw;

petals somewhat spreading, not strictly erect, 4.5–6.5 × 0.6–1.4 cm, base gradually attenuate;

ovary 1–2 cm, gradually tapering to each end;

style 2–3 cm, crests linear, undulate near tip, 1–2.5 cm;

stigmas triangular;

pedicel 0.8–1.8 cm at anthesis.

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

oblong, round in cross section, 3–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate into pedicel, apex gradually acuminate into distinct beak apically.

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

grayish brown, pyriform to oval, 3 mm, wrinkled.

= 42.

= 40.