Flora of North America species comparison

central stem usually erect, usually thickened at base and spongy, branched or unbranched, branches few–several, slender, decumbent to ascending, from base, usually encircling central stem in older plants, 10–40(–100) cm.

densely leafy, 4–20 cm.

in a basal rosette and cauline, rosette usually well developed (except subsp. howellii), basal 5–25 × 1–5 cm, cauline 4–12(–18) × 0.5–4 cm;

petiole 1.5–8 cm;

blade rhombic-obovate, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, margins subentire, dentate, or pinnatifid.

in a basal rosette, sometimes also cauline, 5–16 × (0.2–)0.3–0.5(–0.7) cm;

petiole 0.6–3.5 cm;

blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, margins entire or sometimes proximal 1/2 of blade remotely lobed, apex long-attenuate, acute to rounded.

1–several opening per day near sunset;

buds nodding, weakly or strongly quadrangular or fluted in distal 1/2, with free tips 0–9 mm;

floral tube 20–40 mm;

sepals (13–)15–35 mm, not spotted;

petals white, fading pink to deep pink, broadly obovate or obcordate, 15–44 mm;

filaments 8–15 mm, anthers 5–14 mm;

style 35–60 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

usually 1–3, rarely more, opening per day near sunset, weakly scented;

buds with unequal free tips 0.7–1.2 mm;

floral tube (55–)75–100(–125) mm;

sepals 34–40 mm;

petals lemon-yellow, fading orange, drying lavender to purple, broadly obovate, 35–43 mm, sometimes with terminal tooth;

filaments 17–25 mm, anthers 14–17 mm;

style (85–)105–135(–143) mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

spreading, straight to curved, becoming somewhat woody in age, cylindrical to slightly 4-angled, widest toward base, tapering from base to apex, (15–)30–80 × 1.5–5 mm;

sessile.

leathery, lanceoloid to ovoid, winged, wings 4–6 mm wide, body 25–30 × 8 mm, dehiscent 1/4–1/3 their length;

pedicel 1–2(–3) mm.

numerous, in 1 row per locule, buff with dark spots or black, narrowly obovoid, 1.5–2.8 mm.

numerous, usually in 2 distinct rows per locule, often reduced to 1 row near apex, rarely 1 row throughout, obovoid to subcuboid, 2.5–4 × 2.5–3.5 mm.

= 42.