Flora of North America species comparison

elongate.

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.

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

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).

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.

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 2.5 cm.

to 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 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).