Flora of North America species comparison

freely branching, producing dense clumps, slender, 0.5–0.7 cm diam., covered with bases of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

compact, greenish brown or sometimes red-tinged, many-branched, with ringlike scars of old leaves, 1.5–2 cm diam.

simple, solid, 2–3 dm.

simple or sometimes 1–2-branched, solid, 3–9 dm.

basal with blade sometimes pink to red basally, finely ribbed, linear, 3–3.5 dm × 0.5 cm, subglaucous, margins not thickened, apex acute;

cauline 1–3, imbricated, mostly free, bractlike, blade linear-lanceolate, inflated.

basal arching distally, blade bright green, lightly ribbed, linear-ensiform, 6–10 dm × 1.5–2.5 cm;

cauline subtending branches, blade 4.5–6 dm.

(1–)2-flowered;

spathes often flushed with pink or red, lanceolate, 4–8 cm × 5–10 mm, subequal or unequal and inner somewhat longer than outer, rigid, apex acuminate.

1–2-flowered;

spathes unequal, outer green, 10–12 cm, herbaceous, inner 6–8 cm, partly scarious.

perianth pale cream with distinct veins of lavender, reddish brown, or brown, margins often distinctly crisped;

floral tube funnelform, 3–5.8 cm, slender, then expanding abruptly to base of flower;

sepals spreading outward from base and remaining in horizontal position for entire length, narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4–6.5 × 1.1–1.8 cm, base attenuate into long claw;

petals somewhat spreading, not strictly erect, 4.5–6.5 × 0.6–1.4 cm, base gradually attenuate;

ovary 1–2 cm, gradually tapering to each end;

style 2–3 cm, crests linear, undulate near tip, 1–2.5 cm;

stigmas triangular;

pedicel 0.8–1.8 cm at anthesis.

perianth copper colored or reddish brown (yellow in forma fulvaurea);

floral tube hollow to ovary, 2–2.5 cm;

sepals widely spreading or arching downward, obovate, with 1–3 prominent veins, 4.5–5.5 cm, glabrous, often with lighter yellow basal signal;

petals spreading or declining with sepals, 4–5 × 1.5–2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex deeply emarginate;

ovary green, hexagonal, 1.5–1.7 cm;

style convex, not keeled, 1.8–2 cm, crests reflexed, rounded-triangular, margins shallowly toothed;

stigmas 2-lobed, lobes pointed, margins entire;

pedicel 2–4 cm.

oblong, round in cross section, 3–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate into pedicel, apex gradually acuminate into distinct beak apically.

remaining green even after seeds mature, oblong-elliptic, hexagonal in cross section, with 6 equally spaced ribs, short beak, 4.5–8 × 2.5 cm.

grayish brown, pyriform to oval, 3 mm, wrinkled.

in 2 rows per locule, irregular, flattened, 10–15 mm, corky.

= 40.

= 42.