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, to 30 cm;

petiole winged distally, to 18 cm, usually exceeding blade;

blade round to broadly ovate or subcordate, to 15 × 9 cm, leathery, base subtruncate (abruptly narrowed) and then decurrent, margins entire, apex cuspidate, cusp to 5 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 not winged, to 100 cm × 7 mm, glabrous to puberulent (hairs ca. 0.1 mm); nonflowering branches absent;

spikelets moderately to densely aggregated at tips of branches, internodes mostly 2–4 mm; subtending bracts 3–6 mm, acute or aristate (outer) to truncate (inner), ciliate or fimbriate at margins, surfaces glabrous or minutely appressed-pubescent;

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, glabrous ribs, funnelform;

tube ca. 5 mm, minutely pubescent along proximal end of ribs (hairs less than 0.1 mm);

lobes spreading, ca. 5 mm (5 main lobes with shallower lobes between larger lobes), or lobes indistinct and calyx appearing erose or irregularly lobed at mouth;

petals whitish, barely exceeding calyx.

2.5–3 mm.

4–5 mm.

= 14.