Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, 4–25(–35) cm, glabrous.

2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm.

flat, 5–20 cm × 1.5–3 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.

heads ± digitate, 12–22 mm diam.;

rays 3–6, 1–6 cm;

bracts 1–4, ± horizontal, flat, 1.5–15 cm × 1.5–3 mm.

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.

6–12, oblong-lanceoloid, compressed, 5–10 × 2.8–3.2 mm;

floral scales 8–28, closely imbricate, stramineous to light brown or clear (marginal band bright red, spikelet thus appearing dark margined), laterally ribless, oblong to ovate, 2.5–3 × 1.6–1.9 mm.

stamens 1 or 2;

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

styles 0.1 mm;

stigmas 0.1–0.3 mm.

stamens 2(–3);

anthers 0.3 mm, connective apex reddish, subulate, 0.1–0.2 mm;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 2.2–3.1 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.

brown, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, sessile or stipitate, obovoid to ovoid, 1–1.2 × 0.5–0.6 mm, stipe, if present, 0.1 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces minutely punctate.