Flora of North America species comparison

short.

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.

15–30, many-ranked, finely appressed, erect, green to reddish green, 20–30 × 0.1–0.4 cm, uniformly scaly throughout;

sheath rust-colored, broadly triangular, flat, not forming pseudobulb, 0.8–1.8 cm wide;

blade very narrowly linear-triangular, ribbed, leathery, margins involute, apex filiform-attenuate.

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).

scape conspicuous, erect, 8–15 cm, 2–4 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect;

sheath of bracts, especially upper ones, narrowing abruptly into blade;

spikes erect, palmate (rarely simple), linear, compressed, 1–4 × 0.5–0.6 cm, apex acute;

branches 1–5.

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.

3–15, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, elliptic, keeled, 0.8–1 cm, thin-leathery, veined, apex acute, surfaces slightly scaly;

corolla tubular, petals erect, lavender, ligulate, 1.8–2.2 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

to 4 cm.

2–3 cm.

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.

bracts imbricate, erect, green or tinged red, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), ovate, keeled only toward apex, 0.8–1.2 cm, thin-leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex attenuate to acute, surfaces appressed-pale scaly, venation slight.

= 25 (Puerto Rico, West Indies).