OregonFlora species comparison

4–40 cm × 0.2–0.5 mm.

terete.

sometimes sparsely orange-punctate at 10–15×;

distal blade rudimentary to much longer than sheath, often exceeding culm; to 20 cm × 0.2–1 mm.

all basal;

sheaths usually reddish proximally;

ligules absent;

blades rudimentary to exceeding culms.

involucral bract 1, usually erect, sometimes subtending flower or resembling enlarged floral scale, 2–6(23) mm.

terminal but usually apparently lateral because involucral bract is erect;

spikes 1–3(15);

involucral bracts 1(2); more or less erect; leaf-like.

2–5 × 1–2 mm;

proximal floral scales to 2 mm long; other floral scales 1.2–1.8 × 1–1.3 mm.

floral scales 8–25, spirally arranged; each subtending a flower.

anthers 0.3–0.6 mm.

bisexual;

perianth absent;

stamens 1–3;

styles linear;

base persistent, sometimes slightly enlarged;

stigmas 3 or mixed 2 and 3.

ellipsoid to obovoid, compressed-trigonous to thickly biconvex;

lateral angles usually prominent; dorsal angle prominent to obscure, 0.8–1 × 0.5–0.7 mm long; medium to dark brown or stramineous, distinctly papillose at 10–15× to obscurely papillose at 40×, often with thin whitish surface layer.

falling separately from the scales; biconvex or both biconvex and trigonous, papillose or longitudinally ribbed.

=30.