Flora of North America species comparison

horizontal–slightly erect, thick, praemorse.

± erect, often very deep, praemorse.

1–4+, round in cross section, 3–7 dm, 2–2.5 times as long as bract, stout, glabrous.

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

subsessile;

blade obovate to broadly elliptic, 13–20 × 8–22 cm, not glossy, base attenuate, apex acuminate.

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.

facing outward at right angle to pedicel, above bracts, odor faintly musty, like fresh fungus;

perianth gaping, strongly 3-dimensional;

sepals spreading, usually streaked or entirely purplish maroon, occasionally entirely green except on margins, elliptic, 15–38 × 9–15 mm, margins entire, apex strongly sulcate-acuminate;

petals carried somewhat forward to recurved-spreading in distal 1/2, usually dark reddish maroon to purplish, rarely cream to soft yellow, pink, white, or 2-colored, heavy-veined, ovate to broadly ovate-overlapping, 1.8–5 × 1–3 cm, heavy-textured, apex acuminate, rarely somewhat sulcate;

stamens erect, ± equaling or slightly longer than ovary, 15–18 mm;

filaments purple to white, 3–5 mm, slender;

anthers straight, purplish to yellow, 5–12 mm, thick, dehiscence introrse;

connectives equaling or ± shorter than anther sacs;

ovary usually dark purple, globose to flask-shaped, 6-angled, 14–18 mm, broadly attached basally;

stigmas prominent, recurved, distinct, purple, not lobed adaxially, basally thickened, gradually tapered, 2–5 mm, fleshy;

pedicel usually stiffly erect (rarely almost horizontal above bracts), straight, reflexed ± 90° at tip, 6–11 cm.

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.

red, fragrance of fresh mushrooms, ± globose to pyramidal, 1.5–3 × 1.2–2.8 cm, juicy to pulpy.

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

= 10.

= 10.