Flora of North America species comparison

erect, branched or unbranched, 30–300 cm.

erect, several-branched near ground, also branched proximal to inflorescences, 60–280 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, 0.5–8 × 0.15–2 cm, sessile, blade narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate to very narrowly elliptic or linear, margins usually subentire or shallowly sinuate-dentate, sometimes deeply sinuate-dentate, often undulate.

long, wandlike, unbranched or branched.

slender.

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.

4-merous, zygomorphic, opening near sunset;

floral tube 1.5–5 mm;

sepals 6–14 mm;

petals white, fading pink to red, slightly unequal, elliptic, 7–13 mm, clawed;

stamens presented in lower 1/2 of flower, filaments 4.5–11 mm, anthers 2–4.5 mm, pollen 90–100% fertile;

style 9–19 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.

lanceoloid to narrowly ovoid, 4-winged, 9–19 × 1–3.5 mm, abruptly constricted to a long, sterile stipe 2–10 mm.

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

(1 or)2–4, 2–3(–4) × 0.8–1.3 mm, yellowish to light brown or rarely reddish brown.

= 14.