Flora of North America species comparison

elongate.

short.

4–8, 2-ranked, often twisted or contorted, gray to silver-gray, 1.5–3 × 0.1–0.2 cm, densely grayish-scaly;

sheath pale, narrowly elliptic, not inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 0.2–0.4 cm wide;

blade filiform, succulent, margins involute to nearly tubular, apex acute.

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 concealed within leaf sheath, appearing scapeless, pendent with shoot, ± 1 mm diam.

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.

1, inconspicuous, apparently sessile;

sepals free, ovate, not keeled, 0.6–0.7 cm, thin, veined, apex acute, surfaces glabrous;

corolla spreading, petals spreading, yellow-green, elliptic, to 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 2.5 cm.

2.5–4 cm.

bracts enveloping flower, erect, green, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), ovate, not keeled, 0.4–0.5 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.