Flora of North America species comparison

erect, branched or unbranched, 30–300 cm.

unbranched or with branched central stem and ascending to decumbent lateral branches arising from rosette, 5–50(–80) 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 5–14 × 0.5–2.5 cm, cauline 2–8 × 0.5–2.5 cm;

blade narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic or narrowly oblong, margins usually dentate to deeply lobed;

bracts spreading, flat.

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.

usually 1 opening per day near sunset;

buds with free tips erect, 0.1–1 mm;

floral tube erect, becoming recurved and nodding, then erect again just before anthesis, 15–50 mm;

sepals 5–25 mm;

petals yellow, fading reddish orange, broadly obovate to obcordate, 5–25(–35) mm;

filaments 6–18 mm, anthers (2–)3–9 mm, pollen ca. 50% fertile;

style 20–60 mm, stigma surrounded by or slightly 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.

cylindrical, sometimes slightly enlarged distally, 20–45 ×2–4 mm.

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

brown, sometimes dark-flecked, 0.9–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm.

= 14.

= 14.