Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, (2–)4–30 cm × 0.4–2 mm, glabrous.

trigonous to terete, 20–100 cm × 2–6 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous, often flopping over and rooting at base of rays.

1–5, (blades often absent, base of culm with 1 reddish sheath bearing minute blade tooth 1–2 mm), (3–)10–18 cm × (0.5–)1.5–2(–2.6) mm.

blades reduced to sheath.

spikes 1–3, ovoid or ± digitate, 10–30 × 8–26 mm;

rays 1–4(–6), 0.5–3(–9) cm;

bracts 2–3, approximately horizontal, 1–12 cm × 0.5–2.5 mm.

rays 100–250, 5–16 cm; 2d order rays 0.5–5 cm;

bracts 2–3, horizontal or reflexed, 4–12 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

1–6, compressed, oblong-lanceoloid, 5–15 × (2–)2.3–2.8 mm;

floral scales (4–)8–24, closely imbricate, laterally yellow to yellowish brown, margins light brown to clear, medially green, laterally ribless, medially 2–3-ribbed, 2-keeled basally, ovate, (1.5–)1.8–2.2 × 1.8 mm, apex obtuse.

1–30, linear-lanceoloid, ellipsoid to narrowly ovoid, compressed-quadrangular, 6–17 × 1–1.5 mm;

floral scales 5–12, reddish brown, 1–3-ribbed, 1.2–1.7 × 0.7–0.9 mm, apex mucronulate.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.4 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 1–1.2 mm;

styles 0.3 mm;

stigmas 1–1.3 mm.

jet black to reddish brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid, 1–1.2 × 0.8 mm, apex apiculate, surface with network of rectangular longitudinally elongate cells and transverse undulations.

brown, obovoid, 0.4 × 0.2 mm, base stipelike to nearly cuneate, apex obtuse, surfaces finely reticulate.