Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, base thickened, tuberous, 15–40 cm × 2–2.6 mm, glabrous.

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

flat to V-shaped, 10–30 cm × (3–)4–5.8 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.

spike 1, densely oblong to ellipsoid, 10–20 × 10–20 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 persistent, 0.5–0.7 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.

(5–)10–20(–30), linear to oblong, quadrangular, (2.2–)4–12(–16) × 0.7–1.2 mm, densly packed on rachis with 11–21 spikelets per 5 mm rachis;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, 1–5, appressed, laterally whitish to reddish brown, medially green, narrowly oblong to ovate, laterally 3–6-ribbed, 2.4–3.4 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded to ± acute, entire, mucronate, mucro 0.1–0.3 mm;

sterile terminal scale, involute, only 0.4–0.6 mm wide with mucro 0.2–0.5 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

styles 0.4–0.9 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm.

anthers (0.3–)0.4–0.7 mm;

styles 0.4–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.9 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.

light brown, sessile to slightly stipitate, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid to narrowly obovoid, 1.4–1.9 × 0.5–0.75 mm, apex slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.