Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, easily compressed, 30–75 cm × 1–5 mm, basally soft, glabrous.

2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm.

1–3, usually withered at anthesis, V-shaped, 5–35 cm × 2–8 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 loosely ovoid, 5–25 × 8–22 mm;

rays (3–)5–11, 0.4–20 cm; 2d order rays occasionally present, 5–28 mm;

bracts 3–7, horizontal to ascending at 30°, (2–)8–35 cm × (1–)4–10 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.

6–60, linear to lanceoloid, 7–30 × 2–3 mm, margins appearing serrate;

floral scales 6–24, loosely overlapping, light brown to reddish brown, with conspicuous clear border, medially greenish, 5–7-ribbed, ovate-obovate, (1.4–)1.7–2.3 × 1.4–2 mm, apex acute to obtuse.

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 0.4 mm, connective apex reddish, to 0.1 mm;

styles 0.1–0.3 mm;

stigmas 0.7–1.5 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.

jet black to dark reddish brown, sessile, obovoid, broadly rounded, 1.2–1.6 × 0.6–1.1 mm, surfaces minutely punctate.