Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, (2–)25–60(–100) cm × 1–4 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous.

trigonous, (2–)6–15(–35) cm × (0.3–)1–1.8 mm, glabrous.

usually reduced to sheaths, occasionally with blades, flat to V-shaped, (3–)10–30 cm × (1–)2.5–5 mm.

1–5, flat to V-shaped, (1–)5–15(–22) cm × (0.5–)1.5–3 mm.

heads loosely digitate;

rays (5–)10–12(–15), 1–15(–20) cm; 2d order rays usually present, (1–)6–12(–25) mm; 3d order rays sometimes present, 1–6 mm;

bracts 2(–3), horizontal to ascending at 30–60°, longer (3–)6–18 cm × 2–4 mm, shorter (0.5–)2.5–6.5 cm × 1–2(–3) mm.

spikes ± digitate, ± globose, 7–40 × 10–20 mm;

rays (0–)1–6, 2–12 cm;

if absent, inflorescence a sessile cluster of (1–)3–10 spikelets;

rachis 2–5 mm;

bracts (1–)4–5(–6), ascending, V-shaped, 1–15(–20) cm × 0.5–3.5 mm;

rachilla persistent, wingless.

1–15, linear-lanceoloid, ± compressed-quadrangular, 3–18 × 1–1.6 mm;

floral scales 10–20(–40), laterally reddish to greenish brown, dull, often clear-edged, medially greenish, laterally 1-ribbed, medially 1-ribbed, oblong to obovate, 1–1.5(–1.9) × 0.8–1 mm, apex mucronate, glabrous except for cluster of crystalline prickles at apex.

(1–)3–12(–16), greenish white, linear to linear-lanceoloid, compressed-quadrangular, 6–34(–40) × 2–3(–3.6) mm;

floral scales deciduous, (8–)16–36(–42), spreading, laterally whitish, greenish, or pale brownish, medially green, weakly 7–9-ribbed, laterally weakly 1–2-ribbed, most ribs medial, ovate, (2.4–)2.6–3 × (1.9–)2–2.4(–2.5) mm, apex acute to ± acute, cuspidate tip (0.3–)0.5–0.7(–0.8) mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

styles 0.4–0.9 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm.

anthers 0.6–0.7 mm;

styles 0.9–1.3 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8 mm.

white or reddish brown, stipitate, globose to obovoid or ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6(–0.7) × 0.3–0.4(–0.5) mm, base nearly cuneate, stipe 0.1 × 0.1–0.2 mm, apex obtuse to acute, apiculate or entire, surfaces granular to papillose.

brown, stipitate to sessile, obovoid, (1–)1.2–1.4(–1.5) × 0.9–1(–1.1) mm, apex obtuse to emarginate, surfaces very finely puncticulate.