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.

1–several, ascending to erect, unbranched to densely branched, 15–70 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.

1–3.5 × 0.1–0.7 cm, fascicles of small leaves 0.2–2.5 cm present in non-flowering axils;

petiole 0 cm;

blade narrowly lanceolate, base acute-attenuate, margins entire or obscurely and sparsely serrulate, not undulate, apex acute.

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 per stem opening per day at sunset;

buds with free tips 2–9(–12) mm;

floral tube (15–)30–60(–70) mm, funnelform in distal 1/2 or less;

sepals 10–25 mm;

petals yellow, fading pale pink or pale purple, 10–20 mm;

filaments 4–12 mm, anthers 6–10 mm, pollen 85–100% fertile;

style 35–70(–80) mm, stigma yellow, quadrangular, usually exserted beyond anthers.

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.

10–50 × 1.5–4 mm, somewhat papery, promptly dehiscent in distal 1/2.

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

obovoid, 2–3 mm.

= 14.