Flora of North America species comparison

seldom clustered, globose, 1–5 cm diam.

usually solitary, ovoid, 1.5–3 cm diam.

usually fewer than 10, 1–6 dm × 4–20 mm.

3–9, 2–6 dm × 5–25 mm.

20–80 cm;

sterile bracts absent, bracts subtending flowers usually equaling or exceeding pedicel.

20–130 cm;

sterile bracts 0, bracts subtending flowers usually shorter than pedicel.

usually zygomorphic, sometimes actinomorphic;

tepals withering separately or connivent over capsules after anthesis, long-persistent on fruiting racemes, blue or bluish violet, each 3–9-veined, 12–35 × 1.5–8 mm;

anthers usually yellow, sometimes bluish violet, violet, or brown, 2.5–7 mm; fruiting pedicel mostly incurving-erect, occasionally spreading-erect, 5–70 mm.

actinomorphic;

tepals strongly connivent over capsules after anthesis, deciduous as capsules develop, bluish violet to bright blue or creamy white, each 5-, 7-, or 9-veined, 20–40 × 4–10 mm;

anthers yellow, 4–7 mm; fruiting pedicel spreading-erect, 15–50 mm.

not deciduous, pale green to pale brown, ovoid, 6–19 mm.

often deciduous from pedicel, dull green, ovoid to ellipsoid, 10–25 × 6–12 mm.

5–10 per locule.

6–12 per locule.

= 30.

= 30.