Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, (12–)30–80(–90) cm × 0.7–1.7 mm, glabrous or nearly so.

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

flat to V-shaped, 20–45 cm × 2–4 mm, margins and keel 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.

spike 1, loosely ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, (1.5–)2.5–7 × (1–)1.5–3.5 cm;

rays 1–4, 1–15 cm;

rachis 1–2 cm;

bracts 2–4, oblique or ascending, 1–15(–24) cm × 0.4–3.5 mm, keel, margins scabrid;

rachilla ± deciduous, 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.

(3–)8–40, linear, compressed-quadrangular, 8–18 × (2.4–)2.8–4 mm;

floral scales deciduous, (2–)4–12, laterally light brown to reddish brown, medially green or light brown, laterally 2–3-ribbed, oblong-ovate, 1.6–2.6 × (1.5–)1.6–2.2(–2.4) mm, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronulate, medially glabrous.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

styles 0.4–0.9 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8(–1.3) mm.

anthers 0.4–0.6 mm;

styles 0.3–0.6 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 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.

brownish, stipitate, ellipsoid, 1.6–2 × (0.7–)0.9–1 mm, stipe whitish, 0.1–0.2 mm, apex obtuse, slightly apiculate, surfaces papillose.