Flora of North America species comparison

1–7 per colony, erect, thick, 1–1.5(–2.5) m. Leaf blade pale green, linear, widest near middle, 25–95 × 0.2–1.3 cm, flexible, margins entire, curled, filiferous, whitish, apex tapering to short spine.

procumbent, 0.1–0.4 m, or erect, 1–2 m. Leaf blade rigidly spreading, including distal leaves, linear, lanceolate, concavo-convex, or plano-keeled, widest near middle, 20–80(–150) × 0.4–2 cm, rigid or flexible, not glaucous, margins entire, becoming filiferous, white, becoming brownish, gray, or green, apex long-acuminate, spinose, spine acicular, short, 3–7 mm.

mostly paniculate, sometimes distally racemose, arising beyond rosettes, mostly narrowly ovoid to ovoid, 7–15 × 2.5–6.5 dm;

branches 0.7–3.5 dm;

bracts erect;

peduncle sometimes scapelike, 1–2 m, 2.5–5.5 cm diam.

racemose, occasionally paniculate proximally, arising well beyond rosettes, (4–)8–20 dm, glabrous or finely pubescent;

branches, when present, 0.5–1 dm;

bracts erect, linear, proximal 10–20 × 1–2 cm, distal 3–8 × 1–2 cm;

peduncle scapelike, 0.3–2.5 m, 1–2 cm diam.

pendent;

perianth campanulate or globose;

tepals distinct, creamy white, often tinged green or pink, narrow to broadly elliptic or ovate, 3.2–5.7 × 1.3–3.2 cm;

filaments 1.5–2.5(–3.2) cm, pubescent;

anthers (2–)2.5–4.8 mm;

pistil 2–3.2 × 0.6–1 cm;

style white or pale green, 6–11 mm;

stigmas lobed.

pendent, 3–5.5(–6.5) cm;

perianth campanulate to globose;

tepals distinct, white to cream or greenish white, often tinged pink or brown, broad to narrowly elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic or orbiculate, 3–6.5 × 1.3–2.5 cm;

filaments 0.7–2.8 cm;

anthers 3.2–6 mm;

pistil 1.5–3.5 cm;

style white to pale green, 3–10(–13) mm;

stigmas lobed.

erect, capsular, dehiscent, oblong-cylindric, symmetrical or rarely constricted, 4–8.2 × 2–4 cm, dehiscence septicidal.

erect, capsular, dehiscent, moderately to deeply constricted, 3.5–7.5 × 2–3 cm, dehiscence septicidal.

dull black, thin, 7–11(–14) mm diam.

dull black, thin, 7–9 × 5–7 mm.