Flora of North America species comparison

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

horizontal, brownish, thick, praemorse, not brittle.

1–2, green to maroon, round in cross section, 0.8–2.8 dm, papillose basally.

1–3, green or bronze-green, round in cross section, 1.7–4.4 dm, stout, glabrous.

often carried quite horizontally, well above ground, sessile;

blade light green or bronze-green, strongly mottled in dark green with central light green stripe, mottling becoming obscure with age but less so than in most species, elliptic-ovate, rarely ± orbicular, 6.7–12 × 3.8–6 cm, not glossy, base evenly tapered to broad attachment, apex obtuse-acute.

held horizontally, not drooping, tips at anthesis held well above ground, sessile;

blade usually very strongly marked with at least 3 shades of dark green, bronze green, and purplish green, often with light central strip, mottling becoming obscure with age, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, widest at ca. 1/3 of length from basal attachment, tapered very gradually to tip, 8–17+ × 4.9–8.5 cm, rounded basally, margins of distal 1/3 straight, apex acute.

borne directly on bracts, odor of putrid meat, especially when in strong sunlight;

sepals displayed above bracts, carried almost horizontally, green or green streaked with dark maroon, lanceolate, 16–40 × 4–6 mm, thick-textured, margins entire, apex acute;

petals long-lasting, erect, very gradually incurved from base to apex, ± connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary, pinkish purple, light to reddish purple, brownish purple, rarely yellow, fading to brownish tones with age, not spirally twisted, not inrolling with age, veins not engraved, narrowly elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 2–5 × 0.3–0.5 cm, thick-textured, not glossy, margins entire, flat, acute at apex;

stamens relatively prominent, erect, 9–25 mm;

filaments dark maroon, 3–6 mm, dilated basally;

anthers straight, dark maroon-black, 8–15 mm, dehiscence introrse;

connectives straight, extended 1–1.5 mm beyond anther sacs;

ovary red-purple, ovoid, hexagonal in cross section, 5–12 mm, broadly attached;

stigmas erect, divergent-recurved, distinct, dark purple, subulate, nearly as long as ovary, fleshy.

faintly ill-scented;

sepals divergent-ascending, streaked with green to maroon, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 36–68 × 12–21 mm, margins entire, flat or slightly raised adaxially, apex acute;

petals long-lasting, erect, ± connivent, ± partially concealing stamens and ovary, maroon-purple, brownish purple to brown, greenish streaked to green, rarely yellow, becoming brown, or occasionally bright copper-bronze with age, not spirally twisted, veins not engraved, obovate to oblanceolate, large in proportion to leaf size compared to many species, 5–9 × 1–2 cm, 2+ times longer than wide, widest at or just above middle, thick-textured, margins entire, flat, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded;

stamens erect or incurving, 12–24 mm;

filaments yellow, 2–3 mm;

anthers erect, straight, rarely arcuate, yellow, 10–15 mm, dehiscence latrorse;

connectives straight, projecting 1–2 mm beyond anther sacs;

ovary dark red, brown, or gray, ellipsoid, strongly 6-angled, 6–13 mm;

stigmas basally erect, tips recoiled upon ovary, distinct, green, white, or purple, linear, short, 3–12 mm, slightly thickened basally, not fleshy.

purplish brown, ovoid, 6-angled at least apically, fleshy.

baccate, dark green to purple, odor not reported, ellipsoid, strongly grooved and ridged, pulpy or mealy.

= 10.