Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

trigonous, (30–)45–80 cm × (0.8–)1.2–2.2 mm, glabrous.

bladeless.

flat to V-shaped, becoming trigonous apically, 15–30 cm × 0.5–3.2 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 oblong-cylindric, densely spicate, ± truncate at base, (9–)12–22 × (4–)6–12 mm;

rays 2–4(–5), (1.5–)2.5–6 cm;

bracts 4–6, longest erect or nearly so, larger ones flat or V-shaped, smaller capillary, trigonous, 3–24 cm × 0.4–3.6 mm;

rachilla ± deciduous, wings 0.2–0.4 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.

(10–)20–60, oblong to linear-lanceoloid, compressed-quadrangular, 3–9 × 2–3.4 mm;

floral scales deciduous, 2–4(–8), spreading, medially green, laterally stramineous, dull whitish or pale reddish brown, often red-dotted laterally, (3–)7–9-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, (2–)2.2–2.8(–3) × (1–)1.2–1.8 mm, apex acute, weakly 3-dentate, mucro 0.2–0.6 mm, with apical tuft of crystalline prickles.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 mm.

anthers 0.4–0.9 mm;

styles 1–1.4 mm;

stigmas 1–1.6 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, broadly ellipsoid, 1.4–1.5(–1.6) × 0.8–0.9 mm, 0.1 × 0.1–0.2 mm, apex ± truncate, apiculate, surfaces papillose.