Flora of North America species comparison

many-branched, forming dense clumps, 2–4 cm diam., usually covered with remnants of old leaves;

roots fleshy.

rather weak, often falling over after flowering, solid, usually 1-branched, 5–10 dm.

aerial (or subterranean in Romulea), simple or branched, terete or variously compressed, angled or winged.

basal erect or often flexible, blade gray-green to bright green, buff to purplish basally, with several prominent ribs in mature leaves, linear-ensiform, 6–8 dm × 2.5–3 cm, apex acute.

basal and cauline, distichous;

proximal 2–3 sometimes membranous, not reaching much above ground;

others with open or closed sheaths, usually unifacial [bifacial or terete], oriented edgewise to the stem;

blade parallel-veined, plane or pleated, channeled.

2–3-flowered, branch units 1–2-flowered;

spathes compact, often with brown striations, ridged, unequal, outer 3–8 cm, inner 8–14 cm, firm, herbaceous.

umbellate, monochasial cymes (rhipidia), spikes, or solitary flowers;

rhipidia enclosed in 2, opposed, usually large, leafy to dry bracts (spathes);

flowers except for the first subtended by 1 floral bract;

spike flowers each subtended by 2, opposed bracts.

perianth lavender to violet, rarely white;

floral tube constricted above ovary, 1–2 cm;

sepals spreading and arched, pale blue to purple with darker blue or purple lines, obovate to oval, 4–8.4 × 1.6–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate, claw green in median, bordered by yellow ground with blue or purple lines, yellow extending onto base of limb as finely pubescent signal patch;

petals oblong-lanceolate to oblong-spatulate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, claw greenish yellow with blue or purplish lines, apex often emarginate;

ovary trigonal, 1.3–3.8 cm;

style inwardly auriculate at convergences, 3–4.5 cm, crests reflexed, 0.7–2 cm;

stigmas unlobed, with prominent triangular tongues, margins entire;

pedicel 2.5–8 cm.

usually pedicellate [± sessile];

perianth actinomorphic or zygomorphic, petaloid, with 2 equal or unequal whorls of 3 tepals each [1 whorl of 6];

tepals usually large, showy, distinct or connate in tube;

stamens 3 [2], inserted at base of outer tepals or in tube, symmetrically arranged or unilateral, arcuate [declinate];

filaments distinct or partly to completely connate, sometimes weak, unable to support anthers;

anthers with 2 pollen sacs, extrorse, occasionally latrorse, usually dehiscing longitudinally [rarely apically];

ovary inferior [superior in Tasmanian Isophysis], 3-locular [1-locular];

placentation axile [parietal];

ovules 2–few, anatropous;

style single, filiform at least proximally, usually 3-branched or 3-lobed, branches either filiform, distally expanded, sometimes each divided in distal 1/2, stigmatic toward apices, or branches thickened, or flattened, petaloid, stigmas then abaxial below apices.

capsular, loculicidal, rarely indehiscent, firm to cartilaginous, occasionally woody.

ovoid, ellipsoid, or long-cylindric, trigonal or polygonal in cross section, 3–6 × 1–2 cm.

in 2 rows per locule, pale brown, usually D-shaped, 5–8 mm, pitted, corky.

globose to angular (prismatic) or discoid, sometimes broadly winged;

seed coat usually dry (rarely fleshy);

endosperm hard, with reserves of hemicellulose, oil, and protein;

embryo small.

= 70, 72.