Plant: Perennial herb; tuberous roots; STEMS erect to ascending, unbranched to sparsely branched Leaves: sheaths with purple veins, blade linear-lanceolate, 4-15 cm long, 0.4-1 cm wide, glabrous to puberulous, the margin scabrous, the apex acuminate Inflorescence: solitary spathes, peduncles 1.5-9.5 cm long, spathes 2.5-8 cm long, 0.7-1.7 cm wide, the margins free, scabrous, the surface green, often suffused and/or striped with purple, glabrous to puberulous, the apex acuminate; upper cyme usually 1-flowered Flowers: perfect or staminate; pedicels puberulous; petals dark blue, the lower ones ±not clawed; staminodes 3, yellow, cruciform Fruit: FRUITS 5-6 mm long, apiculate. SEEDS 5, brown, 2-2.5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, rugose, pitted; SEEDS 1-5, testa rugose or smooth, tan to brown, hilum linear Misc: Open grassy meadows in ponderosa pine, oak and pinyon-juniper forest on granitic substrate; 1200-2900 m (4000-9500 ft.); Jul-Sep REFERENCES: Puente, Raul, and Robert B. Faden. 2001. Commelinaceae. J. Ariz. – Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 33(1).