Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 30–150 cm × 1–5(–8) mm.

trigonous, (20–) 30–80 cm × 1–2.5 mm, glabrous or occasionally with scattered prickles on distal angles.

bladeless.

9–11, flat to slightly V-shaped, 25–80 cm × 3.5–10 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 (1–)3–6, loosely cylindric or oblong with parallel sides, 1.5–4 cm × 10–17 mm;

rays 6–12, 2–25 cm, glabrous or rarely scabridulous proximal to spikes;

bracts 6–11, ascending at 45°, flat, (1–)10–20(–26) cm × 1–10 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.4–0.5 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.

10–60, narrowly ellipsoid, quadrangular, 5–8 × 1.5–2 mm;

floral scales persistent, (2–)3–7, appressed, clear at maturity, laterally reddish to purplish brown, medially greenish, often erose at maturity, laterally 3–5-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, ovate-elliptic, 2.5–3.2 × 1.8–2.1 mm, apex obtuse.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 mm.

anthers 0.8–1 mm;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 2–2.5 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 to reddish brown, sessile, oblong-ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, slightly dorsiventrally flattened, 1.8–2 × 0.7–0.8 mm, apex obtuse, apiculate, surfaces papillose to puncticulate.