Flora of North America species comparison

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

± erect, often very deep, praemorse.

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

typically 1, vertical but mostly subterranean, round in cross section, 0.4–1.7 dm, robust, 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.

just at or slightly above soil, long-petiolate;

blade medium green, not mottled, ovate to elliptic, 7–14 × 5.5–10.2 cm, not glossy, apex obtuse or rounded;

petiole arising from scape apex at or near ground surface, 5–12 cm;

bract and petiole strongly resembling leaves of Plantago.

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.

in axil of bracts at or near ground level, ± erect, odor unknown;

sepals erect to widely spreading, often weakly recurved near middle, green, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 22–47 × 7–10 mm, margins entire, apex acute;

petals long-lasting, ± connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary, or erect-spreading early then ± connivent, erect to incurved, light maroon-red, purple, or greenish to yellowish, not spirally twisted, flat, linear-lanceolate, 3–5.5 × 0.4–1 cm, thick-textured, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens erect, (15–) 22–30 mm;

filaments olive, (3–)5–7 mm, slender;

anthers straight, brown or olive, 16–20 mm, slender, dehiscence latrose;

connectives yellow or orange, ± not extending beyond anther sacs;

ovary white, greenish, purplish distally, ovoid, sharply angled, 4–9 mm;

stigmas erect, divergent, distinct, purple or olive, linear-subulate, 7–20 mm, apex somewhat recurved.

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

fragrance not reported, ovoid, strongly angled/winged, ca. 1 cm, pulpy, moist.

= 10.