Flora of North America species comparison

short, thick, praemorse.

horizontal, brownish, short, thick, praemorse, not brittle.

1–2, often with numerous offsets forming heavy clumps, round in cross section, 1.5–6 dm, ± robust, glabrous.

1–4, round in cross section, 1.4–4 dm, stout, glabrous.

sessile;

blade bright green, lacking dark pigmentation, major veins prominent, broadly rhombic to ovate-rhombic, 5–20 × 5–20 cm, about as broad as long, widest near middle, base attenuate, apex acuminate.

held well above ground, sessile;

blade mottled, mottling becoming more obscure as growth matures, shape variable, ovate-elliptic to ± orbicular-acuminate, 6.5–17 × 6.5–9.8 cm, not glossy, apex acuminate to long-acuminate.

erect, ascending, or proximal to but above bracts, odor fetid, like a wet dog;

perianth open, flat;

sepals flat to sulcate apically, green, often streaked or overlain with maroon, occasionally entirely dark maroon, lanceolate-acuminate, 10–50 mm, equaling petals, ± 1/2 petal width, texture leafy, margins entire, apex acuminate;

petals spreading, carried in same plane as sepals or ascending slightly, dark reddish brown, maroon, purple, or white, sometimes pale yellow, major adaxial veins prominent and appearing somewhat engraved, usually flat, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, or occasionally ovate, 1.5–5 × 1–3 cm, 2 times sepal width, widest near base, heavy-textured, apex acuminate;

stamens erect to slightly recurved, 5–15 mm;

filaments white, pinkish, or dark purple, ± equaling anthers, but variable within local populations, thin;

anthers erect or weakly recurving, dark maroon, grayish maroon, or yellowish, strongly yellow when pollen exposed, 5–12 mm, dehiscence introrse;

ovary dark purple to maroon, even in white-flowered forms, ovoid, elliptic to globose, 6-angled, angles forming very low ridges when fruit is ripe, 5–10 mm, broadly attached at base;

stigmas recurved, distinct, dark purple, not lobed adaxially, subulate, short, 3–7 mm, ca. 1/2 or less length of ovary at anthesis, fleshy;

pedicel straight, erect, or somewhat declined but not strongly recurved below bracts, 1–10+ cm.

erect, odor strongly lemony;

sepals displayed above bracts, widely spreading, green, oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate, or oblong-elliptic, 22–47 × 8–9 mm, margins entire, apex distinctly rounded-acute;

petals long-lasting, erect, ± connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary, greenish yellow to lemon yellow, not spirally twisted, not clawed, elliptic-lanceolate, lanceolate, or oblanceolate, 3.4–6.6 × 1–2.1 cm, thick-textured, widest near base, margins entire, tapering to long-acuminate apex;

stamens erect, 11–18 mm;

filaments greenish white, 1.5–2 mm, basally dilated;

anthers erect, straight, yellow, 9–16 mm, dehiscence introrse (or appearing lateral);

connectives green, straight, broad, extending only slightly (to 0.5 mm) or not at all beyond anther sacs;

ovary pale green, ovoid to globose, 6-angled, 5–8 mm;

stigmas erect, barely spreading, distinct, greenish white, sessile, linear to subulate, 3–4 mm, fleshy.

dark maroon, weakly fragrant of fruit, ± globose to slightly pyramidal, 1–1.6 × 1–1.5 cm, juicy.

green to greenish white, occasionally with dark streaks, odor not reported, ovoid, 6-angled, 3.5 × 2 cm, pulpy.

= 10.

= 10.