Flora of North America species comparison

trailing (nonflowering shoots ascending at tip), laxly branched, not bearing rosettes.

rootstocks, horizontal, branched, bearing terminal rosettes.

erect, usually simple, 5–10(–15) cm;

leaf blades triangular-ovate, base short-spurred;

offsets not formed.

(terminal or axillary), ascending, simple or branched, 2–10(–12) cm;

leaf blades truncately obovate or spatulate, base not spurred;

offsets not formed.

(usually deciduous, if persistent, then blade white, soft, papery), alternate, (densely imbricate), spreading, sessile;

blade yellow-green, not glaucous, triangular-ovate, terete to semiterete (elliptic in cross section), (2–)5(–8) × 1–4 mm, base obtusely short-spurred, not scarious, apex obtuse.

alternate, ascending, sessile;

blade green, blue-green, green suffused with red, or red, margins not white, not pruinose, not glaucous, obovate, spatulate, or oblanceolate, subterete to somewhat flattened, (4–)12–22(–33) × 4–10 mm, base not spurred, not scarious, apex rounded or truncate, obscurely mucronate, retuse, or emarginate.

cymes, 2–12-flowered or flowers solitary, monochasially (1–)2(–3)-branched;

branches not recurved, rarely forked;

bracts similar to leaves, smaller.

paniculate cymes, 5–45-flowered, 4–15-branched;

branches not recurved, simple or 1–2-forked;

bracts spatulate to linear-oblong, 3–5 mm, base not spurred;

offsets not formed.

absent or to 1 mm.

2–5 mm.

5-merous;

sepals erect to spreading, distinct basally, green, oblong-ovate, unequal, 2–3 × 1.3–2.3, mm, apex obtuse;

petals spreading, distinct, bright yellow, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, not carinate, 5–9 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

filaments yellow;

anthers yellow, (oblong);

nectar scales yellowish green, square.

ca. 5-merous;

sepals erect, (loosely appressed to corolla), slightly connate basally, pale green or purplish, glaucous, ovate or lanceolate, (slightly subterete), equal, 1.8–5.3(–6) × 2 mm, apex acute to obtuse;

petals (convolute in bud), erect proximally, connate basally, spreading distally, greenish white or creamy white to yellow or pale orange, or pale orange suffused with pink, oblanceolate-oblong, spatulate or obovate, somewhat carinate, 4–10 mm, apex abruptly mucronate;

filaments white or yellow;

anthers yellow;

nectar scales white, truncately reniform.

stellately patent in fruit, distinct, yellowish.

erect in fruit, distinct, brown.

= 40, 60, 80, 100, 120.

= 30, 60 (in var. retusum).