Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

trigonous, 150–250 cm × 2–15 mm, glabrous.

bladeless.

inversely W-shaped, 30–150 cm × 6–22 mm.

heads digitate, 15–30(–36) mm diam.;

rays (14–)20–22, (2–)5–12(–20) cm; 2d order rays 0.3–3(–4) cm; 3d order rays sometimes present, 0.3–2.5 cm;

bracts (4–)18–22, ± horizontal, flat, 15–27 cm × (1.5–)8–12 mm.

spikes 1–4, cylindric, 1.5–4 cm × 7–15 mm;

rays 3–9, 10–26 cm; 2d order rays 2–11 cm; 3d order rays 1–4 cm (or absent);

bracts 3–5, ± horizontal, 20–100 cm × 3–15 mm; 2d order bracts 2–7 cm × 2–7 mm; 3d order bracts 2–5 cm × 2–4 mm (or absent);

rachilla persistent, wingless or wing hyaline, narrow, 0.1 mm wide.

8–20, ovoid to linear-lanceoloid, compressed, 5–25 × 1.5–2 mm;

floral scales 8–28, laterally whitish or light brown, ± hyaline, medially light brown, laterally ribless, medially 3-ribbed, 2-keeled in proximal 30–60%, deltate-ovate, 1.6–2.4 × (1–)1.2–1.5(–1.7) mm, apex acute.

50–100, linear, ± quadrangular, slightly compressed, 8–11 × 0.9–1.2 mm;

floral scales 15–30, marginally clear, laterally reddish along midrib, medially green, laterally 3–4 ribbed, medially 3–5-ribbed, ovate, 1–2–1.6 × 1.1–1.3 mm, apex mucronulate.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 mm.

anthers 2, 0.4–0.5 mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 2, 0.4 mm.

brown, sessile or stipitate, broadly ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm, stipe if present to 0.1 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

dark brown, sessile, ellipsoid to obovoid, 0.9 × 0.4–0.5 mm, surfaces finely puncticulate.