Flora of North America species comparison

many-branched, not creeping, forming dense clumps, slender, 0.3–0.8 cm diam.;

roots fibrous.

extensively branching, to 12 × 0.5–0.7 cm, becoming 1.5–2 cm diam., with coarse, strongly ribbed, brown, scalelike leaves.

simple, somewhat angular, solid, 1.5–2.7 dm.

simple or rarely 1-branched, 3–7 dm.

basal somewhat lax, overtopping stem, blade light green, paling to pink or straw color basally, finely ribbed, linear-acute to linear, ensiform, 4.5 dm × 0.5 cm, margins not thickened;

cauline 1–3, sheathing for 1/2 length then spreading, foliaceous, blade linear-lanceolate, not inflated, narrow, reduced, to 15 cm.

basal with blade green, often with red-brown margins, lightly ribbed, linear-ensiform, 3–5 dm × 1.5–2.3 cm, glaucous, apex acute;

cauline 2–3, spreading, blade narrowly linear, 0.5–0.7 cm wide, apex acute.

1–2-flowered;

spathes distant basally by 3 cm in some cases, keeled, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-acuminate, 5–7 cm × 2–4 mm, unequal, outer longer than inner, herbaceous, margins scarious.

1-flowered, branch unit (if present) 1-flowered;

spathes covering pedicel, ovary, floral tube, and base of sepals, unequal, outer 3 cm × 10 mm, inner 6 cm × 10 mm.

perianth color variable, purple, pink, lavender, cream, yellow, or rarely white;

floral tube funnelform, 0.6–2 cm;

sepals veined with color of limb, obovate, 5.8–6 × 1.6–2 cm, base gradually attenuate into white claw with slight yellow ridge, apex emarginate to bluntly rounded;

petals same color as sepals, not prominently veined, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5 × 1 cm;

ovary 1–2 cm, slightly wider distally, base very gradually attenuate;

style 2.2–3.2 cm, crests subquadrate, 8–12 mm, margins crenate or incised;

stigmas triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 1–5 cm, longer in second flower (when present) than in first.

perianth blue-violet;

floral tube with brown striations, funnelform, 2–2.5 cm;

sepals blue-violet with deeper veins, with yellow-white signal, orbicular, 7–8 × 3–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate into whitish claw with yellow-brown veining;

petals mostly hidden by bases of sepals, much reduced, 1.5 × 0.3–0.5 cm, bristle absent;

ovary trigonal, with shallow groove at each angle, 1.5 cm;

style 3.5–4 cm, crests linear to subquadrate, 1–1.8 cm, margins sometimes incised;

stigmas semicircular, margins entire;

pedicel 2–3.5 cm.

oblong, triangular in cross section, prominently ribbed, beaked, 3–5 cm.

globose to oblong, obtusely 3-angled, with rounded angles, 2.5–4 × 2 cm, rounded basally, abruptly contracted into beak apically.

brown, D-shaped to irregular, wrinkled.

in 1 row per locule, dark red-brown, semicircular, flattened, 6–8 mm;

seed coat thick.

= 40.