Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

trigonous to terete, 20–100 cm × 2–6 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous, often flopping over and rooting at base of rays.

bladeless.

blades reduced to sheath.

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.

rays 100–250, 5–16 cm; 2d order rays 0.5–5 cm;

bracts 2–3, horizontal or reflexed, 4–12 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

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.

1–30, linear-lanceoloid, ellipsoid to narrowly ovoid, compressed-quadrangular, 6–17 × 1–1.5 mm;

floral scales 5–12, reddish brown, 1–3-ribbed, 1.2–1.7 × 0.7–0.9 mm, apex mucronulate.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 1–1.2 mm;

styles 0.3 mm;

stigmas 1–1.3 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, obovoid, 0.4 × 0.2 mm, base stipelike to nearly cuneate, apex obtuse, surfaces finely reticulate.