Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, 50–100 cm × 2.5–3 mm, glabrous.

2–7, flat, (2–)7–22 cm × 2.2–4 mm.

V-shaped, 20–50 cm × 4–7 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, 1.5–7 cm wide;

rays 5–13, 1–21 cm; 2d order rays 0.5–3 cm;

bracts 3–8, V-shaped, 5–50 cm × 2.5–5.6 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.4–0.6 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.

5–30, compressed, linear, (5–)12–40 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 6–24, reddish brown to yellowish brown laterally, greenish medially, 5–7-ribbed, elliptic, 3–4 × 1.4–1.6 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.

anthers 1.5–2 mm;

styles 2–2.3 mm;

stigmas 2–3 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, oblong, 1.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.