Flora of North America species comparison

heterogeneous, whitish, cordlike portions 0.1–1.5 dm × 2–4 mm, enlarging to 6–8 mm diam., densely covered with brown, scalelike leaves, roots absent, or torulose with roots borne along entire rhizome.

freely branching, producing extensive clumps, 1–2.5 cm diam.

simple, 5–15 cm.

declining or semi- erect, sharply zigzag, with short branch at each of 2–3 bends, leaf at every bend, flower bud at every bend, solid, 2.5–3 dm.

basal with blade light green, ensiform, 0.3–1.5 dm × 0.3–1.3 cm, enlarging to 3.5 dm, glaucous;

cauline 5–9, sheathing, imbricate, blade light green, obovate, 1.3–5 cm, increasing in length, proximal shortest, membranous, apex acute.

basal erect, spreading, or prostrate, blade deep green, ensiform, 3.5–7 dm × 1.5–3.5 cm, somewhat glaucous;

cauline at each of 2–3 nodes, subtending and exceeding short branch and flower, blade 2–6 dm.

1–2-flowered;

spathes divergent, exposing floral tube, green, lanceolate, 2–2.5 cm, apex acuminate.

with terminal unit 2-flowered, each short branch unit 1-flowered;

spathes foliaceous, lanceolate, 3–5 cm, subequal, apex acute;

outer green, exceeding inner;

inner partly scarious.

floral tube pale violet, filiform, 2.5–6.5 cm, expanding somewhat distally to 2.5–4 cm diam.;

sepals widely spreading, blue to violet with yellow or orange longitudinal papillose band at base of blade, obovate, 2–6 × 0.8–2 cm, base gradually attenuate into claw, not crested;

petals erect, arching inward at tip, spatulate, 2–7 × 1–2 cm, base abruptly attenuate into claw;

ovary linear, to 1.3 cm;

styles pale violet, 2.5–4 cm, crests linear-acute, narrow, 0.7 cm;

stigmas rounded, margins entire;

pedicel 1–3 cm, increasing to 25 cm as capsule matures.

perianth rich blue or blue-violet;

floral tube funnelform, 1–2 cm;

sepals ovate, 7.5–9 × 2.5–3 cm, base abruptly attenuate, claw light greenish yellow with darker veins, with prominent yellow midrib and large, yellow-white signal at union of limb and claw;

petals erect or spreading-erect, lighter blue than sepals, oblanceolate, 5–6.5 × 1.5–2 cm;

ovary prominently 6-angled, 1–1.3 cm;

style greenish, 3.5–4 cm, crests reflexed, semiovoid to subquadrate, 1.2–1.5 cm, margins irregularly toothed or entire;

stigmas 2-lobed, lobes rounded-deltoid;

pedicel 1–1.3 cm.

3-angled with single ridge at each angle, almost hidden in bases of spathes, 1–3.2 × 0.8–1.5 cm, tapering into beak consisting of dried remnant of floral tube.

hexagonal to almost circular in cross section with 6 equally placed ribs, with short beak at apex, 3–5 × 2–2.5 cm.

dark brown, ribbed, 2.8–3.2 mm, lustrous, with small, fleshy aril basally.

in 2 rows per locule, light brown, irregularly circular, flattened, 3–5 mm, very corky.

= 42, 44.