Flora of North America species comparison

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

solitary or close together, trigonous, 5–40(–95) cm, glabrous.

2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm.

(2–)3–7, broadly V-shaped, 3–20(–30) 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.

spikes loosely to densely ovoid to hemispheric, 7–16 mm diam.;

rachis 1–2 mm, or absent;

rays 1–2, 3–45 mm;

if rays absent, inflorescence sessile, dense, 6–20 mm diam;

bracts 2–3, horizontal to reflexed downward, broadly V-shaped, 1–15 cm × 1–3 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.

(3–)5–25(–60), linear to oblong-linear, (3–)5–9 × 1.8–2.3 mm;

floral scales 4–18, closely imbricate, chestnut brown, black, or brown, medially green or greenish brown, laterally ribless, medially 2(–3)-ribbed, distinctly 2-keeled basally, ovate to orbiculate, 1.5–2.1 × 1.4–2.2 mm, apex 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;

anthers 0.6–0.8 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas 0.7–2.1 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, ellipsoid, 1.2–1.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, slightly stipitate, apex apiculate, surfaces minutely punctate.