Flora of North America species comparison

short.

20–50, many-ranked, erect to spreading, gray to gray-green, 25–50 × 1–2.5 cm, grayish-scaly;

sheath dark rust colored toward base, broadly elliptic, flat, not forming pseudobulb, 3–4 cm wide;

blade narrowly triangular, tapering evenly from base to apex, stiff, leathery, channeled to involute, apex attenuate.

20–75, many-ranked, spreading and recurved, not twisted, gray-green (rarely variegated with linear cream stripes), to 1 m × 1.5–3.5 cm, finely appressed-scaly;

sheath pale or slightly rust colored, ovate, not inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 6–15 cm wide;

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

scape conspicuous, erect or ascending, 10–35 cm, 4–8 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect to spreading, like leaves but gradually smaller;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes erect to spreading, densely palmate to laxly 2(–3)-pinnate, narrowly elliptic, compressed, 5–20 × 1.5–2.5 cm, apex acute;

lateral branches 3–15.

scape conspicuous, erect, 20–50 cm, 6–12 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate proximally, often lax distally, erect to spreading, like leaves but gradually smaller;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes very laxly 6–11-flowered, erect to spreading, 2–3-pinnate, linear, 15–40 × 10–15 cm, apex acute;

branches 5–40 (rarely simple).

10–50, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, lanceolate, to 1/2 keeled, to 4.2 cm, leathery, slightly veined, apex acute, surfaces glabrous to slightly scaly;

corolla tubular, petals erect, violet (white), ligulate, 5–6 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

10–200, conspicuous;

sepals free, elliptic, not keeled, 1.4–2 cm, thin-leathery, veined, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

corolla tubular, somewhat bilaterally symmetric, petals erect, slightly twisted, white, ligulate, to 4 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

to 4 cm.

to 4 cm.

bracts imbricate, erect, red, red-yellow-green, or green, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled, 2–4.8 × 1.2–2 cm, thin-leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or slightly scaly toward apex, venation even to slight.

bracts widely spaced, erect, green or tinged purple, exposing most of rachis at anthesis, ovate, not keeled, 1.2–2 cm, leathery, venation slight, base visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

= 25 (Puerto Rico, West Indies).