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.

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

simple, 5–15 cm.

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

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 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.

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.

roundly trigonal, 2.5 × 1.3–1.5 cm.

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

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

= 34, 36, 38.