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.

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

simple, solid, 1.5–2.5 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 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 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.

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.

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 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 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.

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

roundly trigonal, 2.5 × 1.3–1.5 cm.

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

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

= 40.

= 34, 36, 38.