Flora of North America species comparison

short.

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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.

20–40, many-ranked, erect to spreading, gray, 30–45 × 1–2.2 cm, appressed-grayish-scaly;

sheath dark rust-colored, broadly elliptic, conspicuously inflated, forming small pseudobulb, 3–4 cm wide;

blade narrowly triangular, leathery, channeled to 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, 15–35 cm, 3–6 mm diam.;

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

sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade;

spikes erect, 2-pinnate, narrowly elliptic, compressed, 2–6 × 1–1.5 cm, apex acute;

lateral branches 3–13.

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.

5–40, conspicuous;

sepals with adaxial pair connate, lanceolate, keeled, 2–2.4 cm, thin-leathery, veined, apex acute, surfaces slightly scaly;

corolla tubular, petals erect, violet, ligulate, to 5 cm;

stamens exserted;

stigma exserted, conduplicate-spiral.

to 3 cm.

to 3.8 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, red, broad (covering all or most of rachis, rachis not visible at anthesis), elliptic, keeled, 2–2.5 cm, leathery, base not visible at anthesis, apex acute, surfaces glabrous, venation even to slight.