Flora of North America species comparison

horizontal, brownish, thick, praemorse, not brittle.

short, praemorse.

often 2 from single terminal bud, round in cross section, 2.5–5.5 dm, stout, glabrous.

usually 1, 6-gonal in cross section, 0.3–0.5 dm at onset of anthesis, expanding to 0.45–0.8 dm, slender, glabrous.

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.

distinctly petiolate;

blade bluish green, elliptic-ovate to ovate, 1.5–4.5 cm × 0.7–34 mm, base abruptly rounded to petiole, apex round-obtuse.

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.

erect, fragrance sweet;

sepals spreading, flat, bluish green, lanceolate, 10–32 × 2–7 mm, shorter than petals, margins entire, apex obtuse;

petals very showy, recurved to erect-spreading, white, veins not engraved on adaxial surface, ovate-elliptic to oblong, 1.5–3.5+ × 0.8–1.5 cm, thin- to firm-textured, margins entire to slightly wavy, apex obtuse-acuminate;

stamens straight, 5–18 mm;

filaments white, slightly shorter than anthers, slender;

anthers straight, pale yellow, 2.5–11 mm, thin, dehiscence introrse;

ovary greenish white, ± globular, obtusely 3-angled;

style with tips spreading, elongate, 0.5–1.5 mm, slender;

stigmas prominent, recurved or curled, connate basally, white, linear, threadlike, 4–12+ mm;

pedicel erect in anthesis, rapidly recurving below leaves after pollination, 5–20 cm.

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

greenish white, odorless, globose-ovate, 0.6–1 × 0.5–0.8 cm, pulpy, not juicy.

= 10.