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.

often 2 from single terminal bud, round in cross section, 2.5–5.5 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 well above ground, sessile;

blade bright green (in early anthesis rather succulent in appearance), usually well-marked with lighter and darker green spots, occasionally obscurely or scarcely mottled, mottling becoming obscure with age, ovate to broadly ovate, 11–18 × 12–17 cm, somewhat glossy, apex acuminate.

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.

odor spicy in fresh flowers, becoming fetid in older flowers;

sepals displayed above bracts, spreading, divergent, green, purple-streaked, lanceolate, 40–75 × 10–14 mm, margins entire, apex acute to round-acute;

petals long-lasting, conspicuous, spreading-erect to erect, tips incurving slightly, ± connivent, partially to completely concealing stamens and ovary, glossy dark maroon-red or purple, not spirally twisted, flat, oblanceolate, 5.5–11 × 2–3.5 cm, widest at or below middle, glossy, thick-textured, cuneate basally, margins ± flat, entire, apex round-acute;

stamens erect, straight, 15–26 mm, slightly concealing ovary;

filaments dark purple, 2–4 mm;

anthers dark maroon, 13–24 mm, dehiscence introrse;

connectives straight, barely extended beyond anther sacs;

ovary inconspicuous, purple, ovoid, round to 6-angled, 8–15 mm;

stigmas erect, distinct, subulate, 6–8 mm, fleshy, thickened basally.

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

dark reddish purple, ovoid to ellipsoid or weakly angled, 20–50 mm, fleshy.