Flora of North America species comparison

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

terete, 40–60(–90)cm, glabrous.

1–3, 5–30 cm × 1–2 mm.

flat, 35–70 cm × 4–9(–12) 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 hemispheric, 10–20 mm diam.;

rays 5–9(–14), 3.5–10 cm; 2d order rays 0.5–2 cm;

bracts 5–10, ± horizontal, flat, 12–40(–50) cm × 2–7 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.

(25–)35–50(–60), ovoid, compressed, (3.5–)5–12(–14) × 2.5–3.5(–4) mm;

floral scales 10–32, golden brown to brown, 2-keeled, laterally ribless, narrowly lanceolate, 2–2.2(–3) × 0.8–1.4 mm.

stamens 2;

anthers 0.4–0.5 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.3–1 mm;

stigmas 0.6–0.8(–1) mm.

stamen 1;

anthers 1 mm;

styles 1 mm;

stigmas 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, stipitate, narrowly ellipsoid, 1.5–2 × 0.2–0.4 mm, base swollen, spongy, stipe 0.2 × 0.2–0.3 mm, apex acute, beak slender, 0.2 mm, surfaces puncticulate.