Flora of North America species comparison

1–8, occasionally 2–5-branched, 14–15 cm diam.

erect, to 5 m. Leaf blade erect or recurving, green or blue-green, lanceolate or sword-shaped, flattened, concave distally, thin, 40–100 × 3.5–6 cm, rigid or flexible, glaucous at least when young, margins entire or roughly and minutely denticulate, often becoming filiferous with straight fibers, yellow or brown, opaque.

blade erect, yellowish to bluish green, usually U- or V-shaped in cross section, thick, 36–128 × 1.6–7 cm, rigid, scabrous, margins entire, filiferous with straight, coarse fibers, light brown.

erect, paniculate, arising mostly within rosettes, variable in shape, usually ovoid, 18 dm, glabrous, rarely slightly pubescent;

peduncle scapelike, 0.3 m or longer.

paniculate, arising partly within to well beyond rosettes, ovoid to ellipsoid, 5–12 × 4.5 dm, glabrous or pubescent;

peduncle scapelike, 0.9–1.5 m. Flowers pendent;

perianth globose to campanulate;

tepals distinct, white to creamy white or greenish white, sometimes tinged with purple, elliptic to narrowly ovate, 4–5 × 2–2.5 cm;

filaments ca. 2.6 cm, hispid or slightly papillose;

anthers ca. 3.5 mm;

pistil light green, ca. 3.6 cm;

ovary sessile, ca. 2.8 cm;

style ca. 9 mm;

stigmas separate;

pedicel to 2 cm, often arching.

pendent;

perianth globose;

tepals distinct, cream-colored, occasionally tinged with purple, ovate, 2.7–8.1 × 1–3.4 cm, apex rounded or acute;

filaments 1–2.7 cm, short-pubescent proximally;

anthers 1–6 mm;

pistil 1.5–3.5 × 0.5–1 cm;

ovary 1.3–3.3 cm;

style 2–8 mm;

stigmas distinct.

pendent, baccate, indehiscent, 4.4–18.7 × 1.8–4.6 cm, fleshy, succulent.

erect or pendent, baccate, with core, indehiscent, 6-winged or 6-ribbed, elongate, 2.5–8 cm, leathery.

black, 5–14 mm diam., 1–5 mm thick.

black, lustrous, ovate, thin, 5–8 mm diam. 2n = 50.