Flora of North America species comparison

tuberous, thick.

unbranched or sparsely branched, arachnoid-villous.

2-ranked, narrowing toward shoot apex;

blade lanceolate-elliptic to ovate, 4–15 × 2–3.5 cm (distal leaf blades wider or narrower than sheaths when sheaths opened, flattened), base cordate-clasping, sparsely pilose to densely arachnoid-villous.

basal or cauline, alternate;

sheaths closed;

blade simple, often succulent, margins entire, venation parallel.

terminal, 1–4 axillary, sessile in axils of distal reduced leaves, boat-shaped spathes absent.

terminal or terminal and axillary [sometimes all axillary], sometimes becoming leaf-opposed, cymose (cymes scorpioid), thyrsiform or variously reduced, sometimes umbel-like, sometimes enclosed in spathaceous bracts.

distinctly pedicillate;

pedicels 0.6–1.4 cm, densely arachnoid-villous;

sepals 6.5–8 mm, pilose to densely arachnoid-pubescent;

petals distinct, rose-purple to bluish, not clawed, 10–15 mm;

stamens free;

filaments bearded.

bisexual or bisexual and staminate on same plants, rarely bisexual and pistillate on same plants [bisexual and unisexual (staminate and pistillate), all on same plants], bilaterally or radially symmetric;

sepals 3, sepaloid [occasionally petaloid], distinct or occasionally connate, usually subequal;

petals 3, deliquescent, petaloid, distinct or connate, equal or unequal;

stamens 6, all fertile or some staminodial or absent (rarely all stamens absent);

anthers with longitudinal [rarely poricidal] dehiscence;

ovary superior, 2–3-locular;

ovules 1-seriate [2-seriate];

style 1, simple, usually slender;

stigma 1, simple [rarely slightly 3-lobed], enlarged or not.

loculicidal capsules [rarely indehiscent or berries].

3.5–4 mm.

2 mm.

1–several [rarely many] per locule;

hilum dotlike or linear; lidlike embryotega covering embryo.

= 12, 24, 24+ (Mexico).