Flora of North America species comparison

much branched, forming dense clumps, dark red-brown, very slender, 0.3–0.6 cm diam., covered with remains of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

with short, creeping branches, stout, 2–2.5 cm diam., covered with bases of old leaves;

roots numerous, fleshy.

simple, solid, 1.5–2.5 dm.

simple or 1–2-branched, solid, 3–6 dm.

basal few, laxly spreading, longer than stem, blade bright dark green adaxially, flushed pink basally, veins subprominent, linear, 2.8–4.8 dm × 0.5–0.8 cm, rather glaucous abaxially, margins thickened, apex acute;

cauline imbricated, sheathing, free only at tips, bracteiform, blade green edged with pink, strongly striate, inflated, apex acuminate.

basal persistent, blade dark green, turning gray or yellow-brown when drying, veins not prominent, linear, 4–7 dm × 0.6–1 cm, usually longer than stem, glaucous or subglaucous, apex acute;

cauline 2–3, reduced.

1–2-flowered;

spathes green with prominent red margins, inflated, broadly lanceolate-ovate, 5.6–7 cm × 8–13 mm, unequal, outer shorter than inner, herbaceous, apex acuminate.

3–6-flowered;

spathes distant, inner sometimes 10 cm distal to outer, green, narrowly linear-lanceolate, 8–15 cm × 20–40 mm, herbaceous, margins and apex scarious.

perianth pale creamy yellow flushed with pale lavender, with conspicuous brownish purple lines;

floral tube linear, 3–5 cm, somewhat dilated apically;

sepals widely spreading, veined and dotted with deeper purple on claw and limb, oblanceolate, 5.5–8.4 × 1.6–2.7 cm;

petals spreading, lanceolate, 5–7 × 1–2 cm, margins sinuate;

ovary trigonal in cross section with groove along each angle, narrow, 1–1.5 cm;

style 2–3 cm, crests narrowly semiovate or nearly linear, laciniate, 1–2 cm;

stigmas rounded-truncate to 2-lobed, never triangular, margins minutely denticulate;

pedicel 1–2 cm.

perianth pale blue-violet or nearly white, with lilac-purple veins;

floral tube funnelform, 0.5–1.3 cm;

sepals spreading, then drooping at apex, white, flecked and veined with violet, obovate, 8–10 × 3–5 cm, base attenuate into narrow claw with prominent yellow ridge, signal a yellowish basal patch;

petals semierect, oblong, 8–9 × 1.5–2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex emarginate, bluntly rounded;

ovary trigonal with central ridge in each face, 2–5 cm;

style narrow basally, widening distally, 3.5–4 × 0.6–1 cm, crests overlapping basally, subquadrate, 1–1.5 cm, margins incised;

stigmas obscurely to prominently 2-lobed, margins crenate;

pedicels stout, 3–9 cm, unequal at anthesis, becoming ± equal at maturity.

oblong-ovoid, trigonal, somewhat beaked, 2–3 cm.

6-ribbed, oblong-ovoid, tapering to either end, almost round in cross section, 8–9 cm.

light brown, D-shaped, oblong-ovoid, thick, finely wrinkled.

dark brown, globular, wrinkled.

= 40.

= 86, 88.