Flora of North America species comparison

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.

all in basal rosettes, living at anthesis, 5–25(–40) cm;

petiole often narrowly winged distally, 0.1–20 cm, usually shorter than blade;

blade usually elliptic, spatulate, or obovate to oblanceolate (rarely linear), 5–15(–30) × 0.5–5(–7.5) cm, leathery, base gradually tapered, margins usually entire, sometimes undulate, apex rounded or acute to retuse, cuspidate, cusp 1–3 mm, soon falling;

main lateral veins ascending, obscurely pinnate.

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.

axes not winged, 10–60(–95) cm × 1–5 mm, glabrous; nonflowering branchlets absent;

spikelets loosely to moderately densely aggregated along branches, internodes 0.5–10 mm; subtending bracts 2–6 mm, obtuse, surfaces and margins glabrous;

flowers solitary or 2–3(–5) per spikelet.

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.

calyx whitish, obconic, 4–6.5(–7.5) mm;

tube 2.5–5 mm, glabrous or densely pilose along ribs;

lobes erect, to ca. 2 × 1 mm;

petals lavender (rarely white), slightly exceeding calyx.

4–5 mm.

3–5.5 mm.

= 14.

= 36.