Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, basally tuberous thickened, 15–40 cm × 1–2.5 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.

flat to V-shaped, 10–30 cm × 1–2 mm.

blades reduced to sheath.

spike 1, densely oblong to ellipsoid, 8–36 × 8–20 mm;

rays 4–12, 10–20 cm;

bracts 3–6, horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped, 3–15 cm × (3–)4–5.8 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings 0.5–0.7 mm wide.

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.

(5–)20–35(–60), linear to oblong, quadrangular; 4–12(–21) × 0.7–1.2 mm, base narrowed to 0.4–1 mm;

floral scales persistent, 1–3(–5), appressed, laterally whitish to reddish brown, stramineous with reddish spots, medially green, laterally 3–6-ribbed (midrib distinctly scabrid at 30X), narrowly oblong to ovate, 2.6–4.8 × 1.6–2 mm;

apex rounded to ± acute, entire, with mucro 0.3–0.5 mm;

sterile terminal scale involute, 0.4–0.6 mm wide, uncinate;

distal floral scales with cusp 0.6–1.9.

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.

anthers 0.5–1.3 mm;

styles 0.4–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.9 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 1–1.2 mm;

styles 0.3 mm;

stigmas 1–1.3 mm.

light brown to reddish brown, sessile to slightly stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.8–2.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, apex slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

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