Flora of North America species comparison

round to roundly trigonous, 15–80 cm × 2–4 mm, glabrous.

trigonous, 10–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

adaxial face concave, becoming trigonous apically, 15–75 cm × 1–4 mm, margins involute.

flat to V-shaped, 10–40 cm × 2–5 mm.

spikes ovoid, 10–20 mm wide;

rays 3–8(–10), 0.5–12 cm; 2d order rays 0–3, 1–3 cm;

bracts 3–7, horizontal to vertical, 2.5–5.5 cm × 1–4 mm, margins involute; 2d order bracts 0–3, 1–3 cm;

rachilla persistent, wingless.

heads digitate, 10–40 mm diam.;

rays 5–12, 1–12 cm; 2d order rays 1–3 cm;

bracts 3–5, horizontal, flat to V-shaped, 1–15 cm × 1–2 mm.

3–20(–30), beige to greenish or reddish brown, strongly compressed, oblong-ellipsoid to oblong-lanceoloid, 3–15 × 2.5–3.5 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 6–22, laterally pale greenish white to stramineous or reddish brown, medially pale green to yellowish green, laterally 2-ribbed, medially 3–5-ribbed, broadly ovate, (2–)2.8–3.6 × 2.4–2.6 mm, apex with slightly excurved mucro 0.2–0.3 mm, apically scabrid.

(1–)2–4(–6), oblong to linear, compressed, 5–25 × 2.8–3.6 mm;

floral scales 20–60, stramineous or reddish green, laterally weakly 3-ribbed, ovate-elliptic, 2.5–3 × 1–1.8 mm.

anthers 0.6–1.4 mm;

styles 1.2–1.5 mm;

stigmas 1–1.5(–3) mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 1–1.3 mm;

styles 0.6 mm;

stigmas 1.5 mm.

dark reddish brown to black, stipitate, obovoid, faces concave, flat or subtly convex, (1.4–)1.8–2 × 0.9–1 mm, base cuneate, stipe (sometimes absent) spongy, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apex truncate, apiculate, surfaces coarsely papillose.

reddish brown, sessile, ovoid, 0.7–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate or not, surfaces glabrous.