Flora of North America species comparison

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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.

20–50, many-ranked, erect to slightly spreading, gray, 20–50 × 0.5–1 cm, coarsely appressed-scaly;

sheath dark chestnut brown toward base, triangular, flat, not forming pseudobulb, to 2.5 cm wide;

blade narrowly linear-triangular, channeled, leathery, margins involute, apex 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, 15–30 cm, 3–6 mm diam.;

bracts densely imbricate, erect, like leaves but gradually smaller;

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes erect, 2-pinnate, narrowly elliptic, compressed, 2–7 × 1.5 cm, apex acute;

lateral branches 2–10.

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.

10–40, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, lanceolate, keeled, 1.7–2.2 cm, thin-leathery, veined, apex acute, surfaces slightly scaly;

corolla tubular, petals erect, violet, ligulate, to 4.5 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

to 3 cm.

to 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, uniformly red to rose, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled apically, 2–2.5 cm, thin, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces scaly distally, becoming sparsely scaly toward base.