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.

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 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, 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.

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.

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 3 cm.

2–3 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, 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.