Flora of North America species comparison

short.

15–30, many-ranked, reflexed, twisted or contorted, gray, often flushed red, to 65 × 0.6–1.4 cm, appressed-grayish-scaly;

sheath conspicuously rust-colored toward base, ovate to elliptic, conspicuously inflated, forming small pseudobulb, 2–4 cm wide;

blade linear-triangular, leathery, channeled to involute, apex attenuate.

10–20, many-ranked, spreading to recurved, spirally twisted, gray or reddish, banded silver, to 40 × 1–2.5 cm, appressed-grayish-scaly;

sheath dark chestnut brown, broadly elliptic to ovate, not inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 2–3 cm wide;

blade narrowly triangular, leathery, channeled to involute, apex attenuate.

scape conspicuous, erect, 8–30 cm, 2–4 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, spreading, recurved and twisted like leaves;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes erect, 2-pinnate, linear, compressed, 2–10 × 1 cm, apex acute;

lateral branches 2–10 (rarely simple).

scape conspicuous, erect, 15–40 cm, 3–5 mm diam.;

bracts laxly imbricate, erect to spreading, distal widely spaced, like leaves but gradually smaller;

sheath of bracts narrowing abruptly into blade;

spikes very laxly 2–6-flowered, erect to spreading, simple or 2-pinnate, linear in outline, 12–40 × 3–4.5 cm, apex acute;

lateral branches 2–8.

5–30, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, lanceolate, keeled, 1.5–2 cm, leathery, apex acute, surfaces glabrous;

corolla tubular;

petals erect, violet, ligulate, to 3.5 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

5–40, conspicuous;

sepals free, elliptic, not keeled, 2–3 cm, leathery to thin-leathery, veined, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

corolla tubular, petals erect, apex spreading, pink to dark rose, ligulate, to 4 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

to 4 cm.

to 7.5 cm.

bracts imbricate, erect, green to red, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled, 1.5–2 cm, leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces glabrous to inconspicuously scaly near apex only, venation even to slight.

bracts widely spaced, spreading with flowers, gray or reddish, exposing most of rachis at anthesis, elliptic, not keeled, 2.3–3.1 cm, thin-leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces glabrous to slightly scaly.