Flora of North America species comparison

horizontal, short, praemorse, fleshy.

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

1–2, round in cross section, 0.4–1.5 dm, slender, glabrous.

1–3, round in cross section, 1.4–2.6 dm, ± slender, glabrous.

distinctly petiolate;

blade bluish green, occasionally with silvery green pattern along major veins, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.8–6 cm, somewhat thick-textured, glossy, weakly to strongly cordate basally, apex long-acuminate;

petiole (0.5–)1–3(–6) cm.

held well above ground, sessile;

blade strongly mottled in dark and bronzy green, often with central light strip, mottling becoming somewhat obscure with age, lanceolate-ovate, 5.3–9.5 × 2.3–5 cm, not glossy, margins of distal 1/3 convex-curved to apex, apex rounded-acute.

erect, rapidly recurving below bracts after pollination, ± odorless;

sepals conspicuous, spreading, green, weakly sulcate, oblong or tapered apically, usually shorter and narrower than petals, 10–23 × 4–8 mm, margins entire, apex rounded-apiculate;

petals erect-spreading, not recurved or only in distal 1/2, white (rarely pale pink), usually with dark madder-purple flecks, rarely almost entirely covered with madder-purple, color not changing with age, veins inconspicuous, not engraved, ovate-cordate to ± orbicular, tapered bluntly apically above middle, 1.3–2.8 × 1–2.4 cm, ± thin-textured, base rounded, cuneate, margins entire, mostly without undulations, apex ± apiculate-acuminate;

stamens erect, 5–12 mm;

filaments white, ± equaling anthers;

anthers straight, yellow, 3–6 mm, dehiscence ± extrorse;

connectives not extended beyond anther sacs;

ovary creamy white, ovoid, weakly 6-angled but angles in close pairs, giving superficial impression of 3-angled ovary, short, 3–9 × 4 mm, somewhat obscured by anthers broadly attached;

stigmas recurved and appearing ± lobed adaxially, at least in dried specimens, connate basally to distinct and closely grouped, white or cream, 2–4 mm, uniformly thick, fleshy;

pedicel strongly erect at anthesis, strongly recurving and elongating below bracts after pollination, 2.5–11 cm.

erect, odor of carrion;

sepals displayed above bracts, spreading, green, lanceolate-oblanceolate, 19–35 × 2.7–4 mm, margins entire, apex rounded or acute to sometimes weakly reflexed;

petals long-lasting, faintly introrsely curved-erect-spreading, weakly connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary, dark maroon-brown, purplish, or dull greenish, or 2-colored, basal portion purple, distal portion grayish green, not spirally twisted, oblanceolate-linear, 3.5–5.5 × 0.4–0.8 cm, thick-textured, thickened and weakly clawed basally, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens erect, straight, 10–18 mm;

filaments olive-orange, 2–3 mm, widened basally;

anthers erect, straight, olive to orange, 7–20 mm, slender, dehiscence latrorse;

connectives olive to orange, straight, scarcely extended beyond anther sac;

ovary purple, ovoid, 6-angled, 8–9 mm;

stigmas erect, with spreading or coiled tips, distinct, pale purple, subulate, 3–6 mm, ± fleshy.

greenish white, odorless, globose, 0.9–1.2 × 0.8–1 cm, pulpy, not juicy.

dark purplish green, little or no odor, ovoid, 6-angled, pulpy.

= 10.