Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 35–170 cm × 2–4.7 mm, scabrid on angles.

trigonous, (5–)20–60 cm × (0.2–)0.6–2.4 mm, glabrous.

4–12, with readily visible cross ribs especially on abaxial surface, flat to V-shaped, 25–100 cm × 2.4–11 mm.

(1–)3–4, V-shaped, 15–40 cm × 3–6 mm.

heads digitate, globose, 1–1.7 cm diam.;

rays 3–5, 1–7 cm; 2d order rays absent;

bracts 3–5, horizontal to ascending at 30°, with prominent cross ribs, V-shaped, (4–)11–35(–48) cm × 1–6.7 mm (longest 1/2 as long as culm); 2d order bracts absent.

spikes 2–5(–8), oblong to ovoid, 2–10 cm × 3–12 mm;

rays 4–8, to 11 cm;

bracts (4–)5(–7), ascending at 45°, V-shaped, (1.5–)8–30(–50) cm × 1–6 mm;

rachilla persistent, wingless (successive floral scales 1.1–1.5 mm apart).

10–40, oblong to linear-lanceoloid, 5–1.8 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

floral scales 18–42, pale grayish green, turning brownish, proximally greenish or brownish, 2-keeled, weakly to distinctly 1-ribbed, proximal 1/2 2-ribbed, ovate, 1.4–1.6 × 0.9–1.4 mm, acute (sometimes mucronulate), apically glabrous, occasionally scabridulous.

10–30, spreading, compressed, linear, 4–20 × 1.5–2.1 mm;

floral scales deciduous, (2–)6–26, laterally brown to golden brown, edges clear, medially green, 5-ribbed, outermost ribs more noticeable than others, obovate to nearly orbiculate, 1.3–1.8 × 1.2–1.8 mm, margins emarginate, apex mucronulate, mucro 0.2–0.25 mm.

stamens 1–2;

anthers 0.8–1.2 mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8 mm.

stamens 2(–3);

anthers (0.2–)0.3–0.4 mm, tips of connectives reddish, less than 0.1 mm;

styles less than 0.1 mm;

stigmas 0.2–0.4(–0.5) mm.

brown, slightly stipitate, oblong-ellipsoid (2.4–3.9 times longer than wide), 1–1.2 × 0.3–0.5 mm, apical beak 0.1–0.5 mm, surfaces glabrous.

brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid, 1.2–1.4(–1.5) × 0.5–0.7 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.