Flora of North America species comparison

1–15, trigonous, 7–30 cm × 1.2–2.5 mm, soft (flattened in pressing), glabrous.

trigonous, 150–250 cm × 2–15 mm, glabrous.

2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm.

inversely W-shaped, 30–150 cm × 6–22 mm.

heads dense, 7–17 mm diam.; when rays short, heads sessile or nearly so, then densely irregularly lobate, 12–35 mm diam.;

rays 1–5, 2–32 mm;

bracts 2–4, longest bract erect or nearly so, appearing as continuation of culm, other bracts horizontal to ascending, 1–22 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm, margins and keel minutely scabridulous.

spikes 1–4, cylindric, 1.5–4 cm × 7–15 mm;

rays 3–9, 10–26 cm; 2d order rays 2–11 cm; 3d order rays 1–4 cm (or absent);

bracts 3–5, ± horizontal, 20–100 cm × 3–15 mm; 2d order bracts 2–7 cm × 2–7 mm; 3d order bracts 2–5 cm × 2–4 mm (or absent);

rachilla persistent, wingless or wing hyaline, narrow, 0.1 mm wide.

30–120, greenish brown to purplish brown, oblong-ellipsoid, compressed, (2–)3–5(–6) × 0.8–1.2 mm;

floral scales (6–)12–20(–30), laterally clear margins, stramineous to deep purple, medially greenish, stramineous, or purplish, laterally ribless, medially 3-ribbed, obovate to orbiculate, 0.6–0.8 × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex mucronulate.

50–100, linear, ± quadrangular, slightly compressed, 8–11 × 0.9–1.2 mm;

floral scales 15–30, marginally clear, laterally reddish along midrib, medially green, laterally 3–4 ribbed, medially 3–5-ribbed, ovate, 1–2–1.6 × 1.1–1.3 mm, apex mucronulate.

stamens 1 or 2;

anthers ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.1 mm, connective not prolonged;

styles 0.1 mm;

stigmas 0.1–0.3 mm.

anthers 2, 0.4–0.5 mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 2, 0.4 mm.

light brown, obovoid-ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.3–0.4 mm (as long as subtending scale), base cuneate, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces finely reticulate, papillose.

dark brown, sessile, ellipsoid to obovoid, 0.9 × 0.4–0.5 mm, surfaces finely puncticulate.