Flora of North America species comparison

erect, branched or unbranched, 30–300 cm.

ascending to erect, with decumbent branches, thickened at base, tapering toward apex, 10–35(–60) cm.

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.

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 5–10(–26) × 0.6–1.5(–3.5) cm, cauline 5–8(–15.5) × 1–2 cm;

petiole 0–12 cm;

blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, margins pinnatifid or sometimes coarsely serrate.

long, wandlike, unbranched or branched.

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.

1–several opening per day near sunset;

buds nodding, weakly quadrangular, without free tips;

floral tube 26–31 mm;

sepals 19–26 mm, conspicuously maroon-spotted, each spot at base of a long hair;

petals white, fading pink to deep pink, broadly obovate or obcordate, 16–26(–36) mm;

filaments 9–15 mm, anthers 7–9 mm;

style 45–50 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

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

sessile.

spreading, woody in age, curved upward, or distal end recurved, cylindrical, obtusely 4-angled, especially toward base, tapering gradually from base to apex, 30–80 × 2.5–3.5 mm;

sessile.

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

numerous, in 1 row per locule, light brown to yellowish brown with dark purple splotches, obovoid, 1.6–2 mm.

= 14.

= 14.