Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, compressed, 15–75 cm × 0.5–3 mm, glabrous.

1–6(–25), trigonous to roundly trigonous, (0.5–)2–5(–9) cm × 0.2–0.4–(0.6) mm, glabrous.

1–3, 5–30 cm × 1–2 mm.

1–6, V-shaped, 1–6 cm × 0.3–1 mm.

spikes 1(–2), ovoid, 5–23 × 9–21 mm;

rays 2–3(–4), 0–15 mm;

if rays absent, head single, compact, sessile, (12–)15–20 mm diam.;

bracts 2–3, horizontal to vertical, 2–14 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm.

heads digitate, loosely ovoid, 3–18 × 3–26 mm;

rays (0–)1–6(–8), 2.5–20(–30) mm;

bracts 2–3(–5), horizontal to ascending at 45(–60)°, V-shaped, 2–60 × 0.3–1.2 mm.

1–6, oblong-lanceoloid, 5–26 × 2–3 mm;

floral scales 12–54, closely imbricate, laterally yellowish brown, medially pale brown, occasionally greenish, laterally 1-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, distinctly 2-keeled basally, ovate, 1.8–2.6 × 1.4–1.7 mm, apex obtuse.

(3–)10–20(–30), greenish to reddish brown, narrowly ellipsoid to oblong, 3–11 × (0.8–)1.2–1.5 mm;

floral scales (3–)6–20(–28), laterally greenish to reddish brown, glossy, medially greenish to light reddish brown, strongly recurved, laterally ribless, medially strongly 3-ribbed, oblong-ovate, (0.8–)1–1.3 × 0.8–1(–1.2) mm, apex emarginate, cusp 0.6–1.2 mm.

stamens 2;

anthers 0.4–0.5 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.3–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8(–1) mm.

stamens 2 or 3;

anthers oblong-ovoid, 0.1(–0.2) mm;

styles (0.2–)0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas 0.3–0.5 mm.

brown, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, stipitate, obovoid to ellipsoid, 1.1–1.3 × (0.5–)0.6 mm, apex acute to broadly rounded, surfaces minutely punctate or finely papillose.

brown, oblong-obovoid, (0.5–)0.6 × (0.3–)0.4 mm, base cuneate, apex blunt, surfaces coarsely papillose.