Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

trigonous, 15–60 (–100) cm × 0.6–3.4 mm, glabrous.

bladeless.

3–7, flat to V-shaped or flanged V-shaped, (6–)20–40(–80) cm × 2–4 (–6.5) 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 broadly ellipsoid to ovoid or hemispheric, (12–)18–30 × (12–)18–35 mm;

rachis 4–17 mm;

rays 4–10, (0.3–)2–12 cm;

bracts (3–)4–5(–7), ± horizontal to ascending at 45(–75)°, V-shaped to flanged V-shaped, (1.5–)5–30 cm × 0.5–4 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings hyaline, 0.3–0.5 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.

(3–)10–20(–28), divaricate or ascending, yellowish brown to dark brown, linear to linear-lanceoloid, compressed-quadrangular, (5–)10–20(–55) × (1.2–)1.4–2(–3) mm;

floral scales persistent, 6–34, spreading or appressed, ovate-lanceolate, laterally 7–9-ribbed, laterally yellowish brown to dark brown medially brownish, reddish, or greenish, ovate, or ovate-deltate, medially 3-ribbed, 1.8–2.7(–3.4) × (1–)1.5–1.8(–2.4) mm, apex acute or subacute.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 mm.

anthers (1–)1.2–1.5(–2.1) mm;

styles (0.7–)1–1.2(–2.2) mm;

stigmas (1.2–)1.8–2.3(–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.

(seldom maturing) brown, sessile, ellipsoid, (1.1–)1.3–1.5(–1.6) × 0.3–0.6(–0.8) mm, apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate.