Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

1–4, trigonous, (2–)20–50(–80) cm × (0.8–)1.5–2(–2.8) mm, basally glabrous or nearly so, apically hispidulous, on faces and angles distally, especially so immediately proximal to bracts.

bladeless.

2–5(–7), V-shaped, (5–)15–30(–45) cm × (1.5–)2.5–5(–8) 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.

spike 1 (occasionally 1–2 smaller sessile spikes at base), densely cylindric, (7–)11–20(–25) × (5–) 7–10(–12) mm;

rays 3–6(–10), (1–)3–6(–18) cm, rays and rachis hispidulous;

bracts 4–8(–10), ascending at 30–60°, V-shaped, (2–)10–25(–45) cm × (1–)3–6(–8) mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.3–0.4 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.

(20–)70–120(–140), oblong-ellipsoid to oblong-lanceoloid, ± terete to quadrangular, (2.2–)3.4–4.5(–5.6) × (0.8–)0.9–1.2(–1.3) mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales 1(–3), appressed, stramineous, red-spotted, strongly 3(–4)-ribbed on either side of green part, medially weakly 3-ribbed, ovate to elliptic ovate, (2.4–)2.8–3.3(–3.6) × 1.6–2 mm, apex acute, mucronulate from excurrent midrib.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 mm.

anthers (0.3–)0.4–0.6 mm;

styles 0.4–0.6(–0.8) mm;

stigmas 1–1.4 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.

brown, stipitate, ellipsoid, (1.6–)1.8–2 × (0.7–) 0.8–0.9 mm, stipe 0.1–0.2 × 0.2 mm, apex ± truncate, apiculate, surfaces puncticulate to glabrous.