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.

unbranched or branched mainly in distal part, 25–70 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 7–15 × 1–2.5 cm, cauline 3–13 ×0.4–2.3 cm;

blade narrowly oblanceolate to oblanceolate, gradually narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate or elliptic distally, margins deeply lobed to remotely dentate or subentire;

bracts longer than capsule they subtend, 1–3 cm.

dense, often with several lateral branches, mature buds usually overtopping spike apex.

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.

2–several per spike opening per day near sunset;

buds erect, with free tips erect or spreading, 1–6 mm;

floral tube nearly straight, 25–47 mm;

sepals 15–30 mm;

petals yellow, broadly elliptic to nearly rhombic, 18–35 mm;

filaments 15–30 mm, anthers 3–8 mm, pollen 85–100% fertile;

style 45–75 mm, stigma usually 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.

lanceoloid, 13–25 × 2.5–4 mm.

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

brown, often flecked with darker spots, ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, 1.1–1.8 × 0.4–0.8 mm.