Flora of North America species comparison

short, thick, praemorse.

horizontal, branching, thin.

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

1–2, round in cross section, 0.7–2 dm, slender, becoming taller and more robust after flowering, 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.

very short-petiolate, subsessile or sessile;

blade dark green with maroon undertones when young, not mottled, 3–5 major veins from base, oblong to lanceolate-obtuse, 2.5–8+ × 1–3 cm, not glossy, apex obtuse.

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.

above bracts, erect, odorless to faintly sweet, pedicellate or sessile;

sepals conspicuous, spreading to same plane as petals, dark green with maroon undertones when young, oblong-lanceolate, 15–30 × 5–10 mm, margins entire, apex obtuse to strongly rounded;

petals of short duration, spreading-ascending, exposing stamens and ovary, weakly recurved in distal 1/2, white, aging to deep rosy pink abaxially, veins not engraved but major petal veins clearly visible, oblong to narrowly lanceolate, 1.5–3 × 0.5–1.5 cm, thin-textured, widest above base, margins strongly undulate, quite variable in petal width and degree of undulation between individuals and populations, apex obtuse to weakly acute;

stamens erect-spreading, 8–10 mm;

filaments pinkish purple to white, ± equaling or slightly shorter than anthers, slender;

anthers ± straight, pale lavender or yellow, 3–8(–10) mm, thicker than filaments, dehiscence introrse;

connectives not extended beyond anther sacs;

ovary conspicuous, white, ovoid, obscurely 6-angled, 2.5–8 mm, attachment narrower than ovary;

stigmas confluent with style, greenish white to white, distally 3-lobed, lobes linear (threadlike), long-spreading, 3–12 mm, uniformly thin and threadlike;

pedicel stiffly erect to leaning, 0.5–2 cm, or absent to much reduced.

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

white or pale greenish, ovate, 1–1.5 cm, pulpy, moist but not juicy.

= 10.

= 10.