Flora of North America species comparison

erect, unbranched or many-branched distally, (20–)30–200(–300) cm.

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 4–15 × 1.5–3 cm, petiole 0–1.8 cm, blade broadly oblanceolate, margins sinuate-dentate to dentate;

cauline 2–13 × 0.5–5 cm, petiole 0–2 cm, blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate, margins sinuate-dentate to dentate.

relatively long, dense.

4-merous, nearly actinomorphic, opening near sunset;

floral tube 1.5–5 mm;

sepals 2–3.5 mm;

petals white, fading pale to dark pink, slightly unequal, oblong-obovate to elliptic-oblanceolate, 1.5–3 mm, abruptly clawed;

filaments 1.5–3 mm, anthers 0.5–1 mm, pollen 85–100% fertile;

style 3–9 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis.

fusiform, terete, weakly angled in distal 1/3, angles becoming broad and rounded in proximal part, 5–11 × 1.5–3 mm, tapering abruptly toward base;

sessile.

3 or 4, reddish brown, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm.

thalassaphila (Brandegee) W.

& W.

.

differs from subsp. drummondii in a number of modally distinctive morphological features, especially floral tubes 2–3.5 cm, sepal tips 0.3–1 mm, capsules 2–4 cm × 2.5–5 mm in diameter and those, coupled with the great disjunction from the Atlantic coast of the United States and Mexico to the southern tip of Baja California, make it worthy of recognition.

drummondii is self-compatible and outcrossing.

= 14.