Flora of North America species comparison

short.

short.

4–10, 2-ranked, recurving, gray, 6–12 × 0.2–0.3 cm, densely pruinose-scaly;

sheath pale, elliptic, not inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 4–8 mm wide;

blade subulate, terete distally, succulent, margins involute to nearly tubular, apex acute to attenuate.

6–14 in small rosette, many-ranked, slightly contorted, gray-green to silver, 5–40 × 0.3–0.7 cm, densely appressed-grayish-scaly;

sheath pale to nearly chestnut brown within, ovate, conspicuously inflated, passing gradually into blade, forming small pseudobulb, 1.5–2.5 cm wide;

blade linear, semisucculent, margins involute, apex acute.

scape conspicuous, erect, 2–5 cm, ± 1 mm diam.;

bracts 1–2, widely spaced, erect, inconspicuous, nearly foliaceous;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes ascending, subpalmate, elliptic, compressed, 8–15 ´ 4–6 mm, apex acute;

lateral branches absent.

scape conspicuous, erect or ascending, 7–15 cm, 2–3 mm diam.;

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

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes usually ascending, pinnate, linear, compressed, 3–7 × 0.6–1 cm, apex acute to obtuse;

branches rarely 1–2.

usually 2, conspicuous;

sepals free, lanceolate, not keeled, 6–8 mm, thin, veined, apex acute, surfaces glabrous;

corolla tubular;

petals spreading toward apex, violet, elliptic, 0.7–1 cm;

stamens included;

stigma included, simple-erect.

5–15, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair short-connate, lanceolate, keeled, 1.3–1.6 cm, papery, prominently veined, apex acute, surfaces scaly;

corolla tubular;

petals erect, purple, ligulate, to 3 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

to 3 cm.

2.5–4 cm.

bracts laxly imbricate, erect, green, tinged purple, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), narrowly elliptic, not keeled, 0.8–1 cm, thin-leathery, apex acute, surfaces densely grayish-scaly, venation even to slight.

bracts imbricate, erect, pink to dark rose, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, not keeled, 1.5–2.3 cm, thin-leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex broadly acute, surfaces densely grayish-scaly.