Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

roundly trigonous, 20–50(–80) cm × 1–3 mm, glabrous.

bladeless.

3–11, V-shaped, 12–40 cm.

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.

heads loosely to rather densely hemispheric, 15–30 mm diam.;

rays 5–10, 2–12 cm; 2d order rays occasionally produced, 5–25 mm;

bracts 4–8, approximately horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped, 10–36 cm × 1.5–4 mm, margins glabrous.

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.

(4–)10–30, greenish, grayish, or stramineous, oblong to linear-oblong, compressed, (5–)7–10(–35) × 2–3 mm;

floral scales 10–25(–85), laterally yellowish brown, medially yellowish or brownish, laterally ribless, medially 2-ribbed with groove between ribs, broadly ovate (widest in proximal 1/2), (1.2–)1.5–2 × 1.2–2 mm, apex obtuse (declined (45–)60–90º from rachilla).

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers oblong, 0.8–1.2 mm, connective not prolonged;

styles basally thickened, confluent with summit of achene, 0.6–1.2 mm;

stigmas 0.3–0.6 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.

reddish brown to dark purplish brown, dull or more often iridescent, stipitate, broadly ellipsoid, 1–1.5 mm × 0.4–0.6(–0.7) mm, base cuneate to ± attenuate, stipe 0.1–0.2 mm, apex acute, beak 0.1–0.5 mm, surfaces reticulate with network of low ridges.