TRICHROMUM R.T. Clausen, 1978

Etymology : Gr. 'tri-' = three, and Gr. 'chromos' = colour > for the three-coloured petals.

Distribution : Mexico (Durango); ± 2000 m.

Description (by 't Hart & Bleij in IHSP, 2003) :

Tufted glabrous perennial herbs with thick white primary roots and mostly red stems.

Leaves alternate, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, spurred, flat, 10 – 18 x 6.4 – 7 mm.

Flowering branches erect.

Inflorescences cymes with 2 – 3 branches, bracts leaf-like but smaller.

Flowers 5-merous, with only 5 stamens, pedicellate, sepals basally free, shortly spurred, unequal, lanceolate, acute, greenish, 6.5 – 9 mm, petals free to the base, lanceolate, acute, dark purple, with green tip and white base, 7 – 10 x 3 – 4 mm, anthers yellow, nectar scales square, truncate, white to yellowish, fruits erect, pale brown, seeds reticulate or reticulate-papillose.

Cytology : 2n = 38.