Flora of North America species comparison

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

basally cormlike, trigonous, (10–)20–80 cm × 1–3 mm, glabrous.

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

inversely W-shaped, 20–70 cm × 5–11 mm, adaxial surface, margins minutely scabridulous.

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 densely ellipsoid to obovoid, 2.5–4.3 × 1.5–3 cm;

rays 5–10, 4–20 cm, glabrous;

rachis 7–14 mm;

bracts 3–8, horizontal to ascending at 45°, flat, 5–35 cm × 2.5–6 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.5 mm wide.

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.

50–90, linear-lanceoloid to linear-subulate, ± terete-quadrangular, (11–)12–13(–15) × 1.1–1.6 mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, 3–6(–8), appressed, whitish green or often yellow-tinted, sometimes reddish striate, laterally 4-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, (3.9–)4.2–4.6(–4.8) × 1.6–2 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

styles 0.4–0.9 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm.

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 1–1.5 mm;

stigmas 2–3 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.

yellowish brown to brown, ± stipitate, conspicuously falcate, 3–4 times long as wide, oblong, 2.2–2.6 × 0.6–0.7 mm, apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate.