Flora of North America species comparison

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

roots fleshy.

compact, dark brown, slender, 0.5–0.6 cm diam., covered with old leaf bases;

roots few, fibrous.

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

simple, solid, slender, 0.25–2 dm.

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 with blade light green, pink or red-tinged basally, finely ribbed, linear-acute, 2.5–5 dm × 0.3–0.5 cm, somewhat glaucous, margins not thickened;

cauline 1–3, imbricated, blade bractlike, inflated.

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.

usually 2–flowered;

spathes sometimes flushed pink or purple apically, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 5–10 cm × 3–7 mm, unequal, outer much shorter and narrower than inner, herbaceous, margins often scarious, apex acute.

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.

perianth cream or very pale yellow, with deeper yellow or lavender veins;

floral tube linear, slender, 4.5–12 cm;

sepals with bluish tinge and veins, oblanceolate, 4.6–7 × 1–2 cm, base gradually attenuate;

petals lanceolate, 3–5.5 × 0.6–1.2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex emarginate;

ovary 1–1.8 cm, base abruptly attenuate into pedicel (when present), apex gradually acuminate into floral tube;

style 2–3 cm, crests 1.5–2 cm, sometimes exceeding arms, apex narrowly pointed;

stigmas tongue-shaped, margins entire;

pedicel absent or 0.5–1 cm at anthesis.

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

sometimes on elongated pedicel, oblong, round in cross section, sharply beaked, 2–3 cm.

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

buff, slightly compressed.

= 70, 72.

= 40.