Flora of North America species comparison

all in basal rosettes, living at anthesis, 10–25 cm;

petiole narrowly winged distally, 0.1–9 cm, shorter than blade;

blade oblong-spatulate, obovate, or elliptic, 4–16 × 1.5–6.5 cm, leathery, base gradually tapered, margins entire, apex rounded or retuse, often short-cuspidate, cusp less than 1 mm;

main lateral veins ascending, obscurely pinnate.

all in basal rosettes, living at anthesis, sessile or with very short petiole;

blade entire, oblanceolate, 15–35 × 5–10 cm, leathery, base tapered gradually to narrow or broad wing, margins entire, apex rounded, cuspidate, cusp 1–2 mm, soon falling;

main lateral veins pinnate.

axes not winged, 30–60(–100) cm × 2–3 mm, glabrous; nonflowering branchlets absent;

spikelets densely aggregated at tips of branchlets, internodes 0.5–3 mm; subtending bracts 1–5 mm, apex obtuse, surfaces and margins glabrous;

flowers 1–3 per spikelet.

axes broadly 2–3-winged, to 100+ cm × 8 mm, glabrous or pubescent (hairs ca. 0.2 mm), wings to ca. 7 mm wide, leaflike, net-veined, variable in width, interrupted at branch points, leaflike appendages absent; nonflowering branches absent;

spikelets moderately to densely aggregated at tips of branches, internodes mostly 3–8 mm; subtending bracts 5–7 mm, acute to truncate at tips, margins and surfaces glabrous or often densely pubescent or fimbriate;

flowers 1–2 per spikelet.

calyx whitish distally, with reddish brown ribs, obconic to slightly funnelform, 3.5–5 mm, ribs usually densely pubescent;

tube ca. 3 mm;

lobes spreading at maturity, 0.5–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm;

petals blue to nearly white, not exceeding calyx.

calyx blue-purple in distal 1/2, with reddish brown, short-pubescent ribs, funnelform;

tube 5–6 mm, expanded portion 5–7 mm, lobes indistinct, glabrous;

petals whitish, barely exceeding calyx.

2.5–3 mm.