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.

sparingly short-branched, forming dense clumps, 1–1.5 cm diam., hard, with old leaf bases at nodes;

roots fleshy.

simple, 5–15 cm.

slightly flattened, with 1–2 short branches, solid, 4–12 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, blade with slight spiral twist and central ridge, 3.5–8 dm × 1–2 cm, stiff, harsh, fibrous, glaucous;

cauline 2–3, 1–2 subtending floral clusters, blade reduced.

1–2-flowered;

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

clustered, 2–4-flowered;

spathes white, 3–5 cm, subequal, papery.

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 white;

floral tube funnelform, 1–2.5 cm;

sepals spreading and arching downward, with large yellow basal area, broadly orbicular, 8–10 × 3–6 cm, apex rounded, deeply emarginate;

petals white, spatulate, 4–6 × 1–1.5 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex emarginate;

ovary triangular in cross section with 2 ribs at each angle, 2–2.5 cm;

style white, with parallel sides, 4–5 cm, crests erect, triangular, 1–2 cm;

stigmas 2-lobed;

pedicel 2.5–7.5 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.

ovoid to oblong-elliptic, triangular in cross section, each angle 2-ribbed, 4–5 × 2–2.5 cm.

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

in 2 rows per locule, white, flattened or wedge-shaped, 4–5 mm, papery, wrinkled.

= 40.