Flora of North America species comparison

erect, sparingly branched below inflorescence, robust, to 65 cm.

erect, simple, 5–35 cm, glabrous or very sparsely short-pubescent.

basal few, usually withering by time of anthesis, blade spatulate;

cauline numerous, 2 per node, blade 1-veined, ovate-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3–7 cm × 7–30 mm, margins entire, apex acute.

basal crowded, blade narrowly oblanceolate, 1–5 cm × 1–5 mm, tapered into broad ciliate base, apex acute;

cauline in 2–5 pairs, sessile, connate proximally, blade narrowly lanceolate, 1–4 cm × 2–7 mm, margins ciliate, apex acute.

many-flowered, open, bracteate;

primary branches racemose, elongate, with sessile or shortly pedunculate cymes of 1–6 flowers per node;

bracts narrowly lanceolate, 3–12 mm, hyaline-margined, apex acute.

cymose, congested, 6–30-flowered, bracteate, pedunculate, often with smaller pedunculate branches in distal nodes;

bracts purple, lanceolate, 2–20 mm;

peduncle glabrous to sparsely puberulent.

ascending, ± straight, 1–2 times calyx, broadening at calyx base.

glabrous to sparsely puberulent.

calyx often obscurely ca. 20-veined, elliptic, abruptly contracted at base, opening constricted to 1/2 its diam., slightly inflated in flower, 7–10 × 3–4 mm, in fruit tightly enveloping capsule, ovoid, thin, enlarging to 9–13 × 5–7 mm, herbaceous, margins narrow, membranous, dentate with broadly triangular lobes to 1 mm, glabrous, veins obscure, usually purple tinged, without conspicuous, pale commissures, longitudinal, parallel, not obviously reticulate;

petals white, clawed, claw equaling calyx, limb deeply 2-fid into 2 spatulate lobes, to 5 mm, appendages ca. 0.5 mm;

stamens exserted, to 2 times length of calyx;

filaments usually dark purple;

stigmas 3, exserted, to 2 times length of calyx.

sessile or short-petiolate, 5–10 mm diam.;

calyx purple, faintly 10-veined, campanulate, 4–6 × 3–5 mm, base attenuate into pedicel, lobes ovate, 1–1.5 mm, margins broad, membranous, apex obtuse;

corolla bright pink (rarely white), limb spreading, 2-lobed to middle, 3.5–7 mm, cuneate into claw, ca. 11/4–11/2 times calyx, appendages absent;

stamens ca. equaling petals;

stigmas 5, ca. equaling petals.

ovoid, equaling calyx and sometimes splitting it, opening by 6 recurved, narrowly lanceolate teeth;

carpophore ca. 1 mm.

ovoid, equaling to slightly longer than calyx, opening by 5 recurved teeth;

carpophore ca. 1 mm.

grayish brown, plump, broadly reniform, 0.6–1 mm, with concentric rings of papillae;

papillae slightly longer than broad.

dark brown, reniform, 0.5–0.8 mm, verrucate with crescent-shaped pattern.

= 24.

= 24.