Flora of North America species comparison

pink, freely branching, producing extensive clumps, 2–3 cm diam., with fibrous remains of old leaves;

roots fleshy.

many-branched, producing dense clumps, 3–6 × 1.5–2 cm, covered with remnants of old leaves.

usually 1-branched, solid, 7–15 dm.

1–2-branched, 1.5–9 dm, exceeding leaves;

branches 1.25–1.5 dm proximal to terminal, but bearing flowers on nearly the same level.

basal deciduous, at first erect, then recurved, blade dark green, with prominent median thickening, 4–10 dm × 2–3 cm, slightly glaucous basally;

cauline equaling inflorescence unit.

basal with blade green with purple tinge basally, prominently ribbed, ensiform, 0.2–0.45 dm × 1–2 cm, ± glaucous distally;

cauline subtending each lateral branch, blade reduced, 0.5–1.5 dm.

4–12-flowered;

spathes green with brown margins, outer spathe strongly keeled, inner without keel, 6–9 cm, subequal, margins not scarious.

2–3-flowered, lateral units usually 2-flowered;

spathes green flushed with purple, foliaceous, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–4.5 cm × 5–7 mm, unequal, inner longer than outer, sometimes scarious.

perianth bright yellow;

floral tube 0.6–0.8 cm, with no constriction into ovary;

sepals bright yellow or cream colored, lanceolate to ovate or suborbiculate, 5–7.5 × 3–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate, claw ca. 1/2 length of limb, signal a darker yellow basal patch limited by short, brown lines;

petals without veining, lanceolate to spatulate, 2–3 cm;

ovary triangular in cross section with concave sides and narrow groove at each angle, 1.5 cm;

style keeled, 3–4 cm, crests spreading, 1–1.2 cm, laciniate at apex;

stigmas rounded with prominent tongue;

pedicel 2.5–7 cm.

perianth dark blue-violet to red-purple with darker veins;

floral tube ca. 0.7 cm;

sepals 4–6 × 3–5 cm, glabrous, base abruptly attenuate to broad claw with undulate margins;

petals much reduced, 1–2 × 0.3–0.4 cm, widest basally, mostly hidden by bases of outer sepals, apex acuminate, with 3–8 mm bristle;

ovary conspicuously 3-angled, inflated at anthesis, 1.3 cm;

style 2.5 cm, crests overlapping, subquadrate, 0.7 cm, margins incised;

stigmas semicircular, margins entire;

pedicel 2.5–4.5 cm, ± equaling spathes.

prismatic to oblong-ovoid, obscurely 3-angled with obvious groove at each angle, 3.5–6 cm, beak 5 mm.

roundly trigonal, 2.5 × 1.3–1.5 cm.

D-shaped, flattened, 6–7 mm, corky, lustrous.

in 2 rows per locule, light brown, with prominent raphe, D-shaped, 2–3 mm, very smooth.

= 34.

= 34, 36, 38.