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.

erect, branched or unbranched, 30–300 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 and cauline, basal 3–7 × 0.5–2 cm, sessile, blade oblong to oblong-lanceolate, base usually ± auriculate, margins entire;

cauline 3–8(–10) × 0.4–1.8 cm, blade lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, gradually smaller, becoming linear-subulate distally.

long, wandlike, unbranched or branched.

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.

4-merous, nearly actinomorphic, opening near sunrise;

floral tube 6–17 mm;

sepals 4–6 mm;

petals white, fading off-white or tinged pink, slightly unequal, rhombic, 4–6 mm, abruptly clawed;

filaments 5–8 mm, anthers 1.5–2 mm, pollen 85–100% fertile;

style 6–10, 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.

ovoid, 4-angled, somewhat flattened, 3–4 × 1.5–2.3 mm, valves with raised midrib and conspicuous lateral veins;

sessile.

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

1, pale yellow, oblanceoloid, 2.4–2.6 × 1–1.5 mm.

= 14.