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, forming dense clumps, 2–4 cm diam., usually covered with remnants of old leaves;

roots fleshy.

simple or 1–2-branched, 3–8 dm.

rather weak, often falling over after flowering, solid, usually 1-branched, 5–10 dm.

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

cauline 1–4, erect.

basal erect or often flexible, blade gray-green to bright green, buff to purplish basally, with several prominent ribs in mature leaves, linear-ensiform, 6–8 dm × 2.5–3 cm, apex acute.

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

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

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

spathes compact, often with brown striations, ridged, unequal, outer 3–8 cm, inner 8–14 cm, firm, herbaceous.

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 lavender to violet, rarely white;

floral tube constricted above ovary, 1–2 cm;

sepals spreading and arched, pale blue to purple with darker blue or purple lines, obovate to oval, 4–8.4 × 1.6–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate, claw green in median, bordered by yellow ground with blue or purple lines, yellow extending onto base of limb as finely pubescent signal patch;

petals oblong-lanceolate to oblong-spatulate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, claw greenish yellow with blue or purplish lines, apex often emarginate;

ovary trigonal, 1.3–3.8 cm;

style inwardly auriculate at convergences, 3–4.5 cm, crests reflexed, 0.7–2 cm;

stigmas unlobed, with prominent triangular tongues, margins entire;

pedicel 2.5–8 cm.

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

ovoid, ellipsoid, or long-cylindric, trigonal or polygonal in cross section, 3–6 × 1–2 cm.

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

in 2 rows per locule, pale brown, usually D-shaped, 5–8 mm, pitted, corky.

= 42.

= 70, 72.