Flora of North America species comparison

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

roundly trigonous, 300–500 cm × 15–45 mm, glabrous.

2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm.

bladeless.

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 cylindric, 10–20 × 6–10 mm;

rays 40–100, drooping or arching, slender, 10–30 cm; 2d order rays 8–20 cm;

bracts 4–10, ± erect, V-shaped, 3–8 cm × 4–15 mm; 2d order bracts 2–5, (1.5–)4–16 cm × 0.5–2 mm;

rachilla persistent, separating laterally, remaining firmly attached basally, wings 0.3–0.4 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.

6–30, slightly compressed, linear, ± quadrangular, 6–10 × 0.8–1 mm;

floral scales 6–16, reddish beside 5-ribbed green medial part, white to hyaline near margins, ovate-elliptic, 1.8–2.2 × 1.2–1.5 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.

anthers 0.8–1 mm (connectives prolonged beyond anther as red subulate appendage 0.2–0.5 mm, apex usually setose);

styles 0.2–0.4 mm;

stigmas 0.8–1.2 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.

pale brown, sessile, oblong, 0.8–1 × 0.4 mm, apex scarcely apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.