Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

trigonous, 50–100 cm × 5–8 mm, glabrous.

bladeless.

3–6, V-shaped, 20–50 cm × 5–8(–10) 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 not appearing lateral, rays 5–8, 2–7(–12) cm;

bracts 3–4, ± horizontal to ascending at 45°, V-shaped, 5–25 cm × 1.5–8 mm;

spikes 1–4, ovoid, 2–4 × 2–3 cm;

rachis 1–2.7 cm, smooth or hispidulous;

rachilla persistent, wingless or with hyaline wings scarcely 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.

7–14, flattened, lanceoloid, 10–20 × 2–2.5 mm;

floral scales 10–30, laterally dark brown to reddish brown, medially greenish, laterally 5–9-ribbed, ovate-deltate;

anthers 3, 0.5 mm;

styles 0.5 mm;

stigmas 1.2–1.6 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 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.

brown, sessile, ellipsoid, 1.4–1.6 × 1.4–1.5 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate.