Flora of North America species comparison

short.

15–30, many-ranked, erect to spreading, gray, 15–40 × 0.2–0.5 cm, coarsely appressed-scaly;

sheath rust-colored toward base, broadly triangular, flat, not forming pseudobulb, 1–2 cm wide;

blade linear-subulate, leathery, margins 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, 8–15 cm, 2–4 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes erect, simple or palmate, linear, compressed, 2–4 × 1 cm, apex acute; simple or lateral branches 1–5.

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.

5–20, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, elliptic, keeled, to 1.5 cm, thin-leathery, veined, apex obtuse, surfaces scaly;

corolla tubular, petals erect, violet, ligulate, 3–4.5 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.

2.5–3 cm.

to 7.5 cm.

bracts imbricate, erect, uniformly red to rose, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled apically, 1.4–1.7 cm, thin-leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces scaly distally, becoming sparsely scaly toward base, venation 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.