Flora of North America species comparison

short.

short.

15–20, many-ranked, spreading, gray-green or flushed rose, 12–30 × 1–2 cm, finely appressed-scaly;

sheath pale to nearly chestnut brown, ovate, flat, not forming pseudobulb, 2–4 cm wide;

blade narrowly triangular, tapering evenly from base to apex, nearly plane to channeled, soft, brittle, margins involute, apex attentuate.

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 or ascending, 3–10 cm, 2–5 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect, blade often hanging, like leaves but gradually smaller;

sheath of bracts narrowing abruptly into blade;

spikes erect or ascending, never palmate, linear, compressed, 5–20 × 0.8–1.2 cm, apex acute; simple or laxly 2–3 lateral branches.

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.

5–30, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, oblong, keeled, 1.5–1.8 cm, thin-leathery, slightly veined, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

corolla tubular, petals erect, lavender-blue, ligulate, to 3 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

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, red, or purple, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled toward apex, 1.8–2 × 0.6–0.9 cm, leathery, base visible in fruit, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

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.