Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green or flushed with red on proximal parts, sometimes inflorescence axis red, usually withside branches obliquely arising from rosette and secondary branches from main stem, 50–150 cm.

(when present) ascending, 1–several, densely leafy, 0–20 cm.

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 13–30 × 3–5 cm, cauline 5–15 × 2.5–4 cm;

blade dark to bright green, white- or red-veined, narrowly oblanceolate to oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly elliptic to lanceolate distally, margins usually conspicuously crinkled, sometimes undulate, bluntly dentate, teeth widely spaced, sometimes sinuate-dentate proximally or lobed;

bracts persistent.

in a basal rosette, sometimes also cauline, (2.5–)6–25(–32) × (0.6–)1.5–4(–5) cm, thin;

petiole (0.5–)1–8 cm;

blade oblanceolate to elliptic, margins irregularly pinnatifid, sometimes subentire, apex acute to obtuse or rounded.

erect, unbranched.

opening near sunset;

buds erect, 7–9 mm diam., with free tips terminal, erect to spreading, 5–8 mm;

floral tube 35–50 mm;

sepals yellowish green, usually flushed with red or red-striped, sometimes very dark red throughout, 28–45 mm;

petals yellow to pale yellow, fading yellowish white and somewhat translucent, very broadly obcordate, 35–50 mm;

filaments 17–25 mm, anthers 10–12 mm, pollen ca. 50% fertile;

style 50–80 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

1–4 opening per day near sunset, without noticeable scent;

buds with subequal free tips 2–7 mm;

floral tube (20–)28–95(–138) mm;

sepals (6–)10–30(–35) mm;

petals pale yellow, fading pale orange, drying lavender, (10–)12–30(–38) mm;

filaments (5–)8–15(–18) mm, anthers (3.5–)4–11 mm;

style (3.4–)4.2–11.5(–16.3) mm, stigma usually surrounded by anthers, sometimes (especially in some Texas populations) exserted beyond anthers.

erect or slightly spreading, dull green when dry, lanceoloid, 20–35 × 5–6 mm, free tips of valves 0.8–1.5 mm.

woody in age, rhombic-obovoid, winged, wings broadly triangular, 5–10 mm wide, often terminating in a hooked tooth, (10–)15–25(–28) × 4–8 mm (excluding wings), valve surface reticulate, dehiscent 1/8–1/3 their length.

1.3–2 ×1–1.5 mm, ca. 50% abortive.

asymmetrically cuneiform, (2.1–)2.5–3(–3.3) mm.

= 14.

= 14.