Flora of North America species comparison

solitary or close together, trigonous, 5–40(–95) cm, glabrous.

trigonous, 2–30 cm × 0.6–1.1 mm, glabrous.

(2–)3–7, broadly V-shaped, 3–20(–30) cm × 1.5–3 mm.

flat, 4–10 cm × 2–4 mm.

spikes loosely to densely ovoid to hemispheric, 7–16 mm diam.;

rachis 1–2 mm, or absent;

rays 1–2, 3–45 mm;

if rays absent, inflorescence sessile, dense, 6–20 mm diam;

bracts 2–3, horizontal to reflexed downward, broadly V-shaped, 1–15 cm × 1–3 mm.

rays 1–3, 0.2–1.5 cm; 2d order rays present in robust plants, to 5 mm;

bracts 2–3, longest erect, others spreading, 1–20 cm × 1.5–3 mm.

(3–)5–25(–60), linear to oblong-linear, (3–)5–9 × 1.8–2.3 mm;

floral scales 4–18, closely imbricate, chestnut brown, black, or brown, medially green or greenish brown, laterally ribless, medially 2(–3)-ribbed, distinctly 2-keeled basally, ovate to orbiculate, 1.5–2.1 × 1.4–2.2 mm, apex obtuse.

3–12, narrowly ellipsoid, flattened, 3–7 × 0.9–1.2 mm;

floral scales 8–12(–16), laterally purplish brown, medially greenish yellow, 3-ribbed medially, orbiculate, 0.9–1.1 × 1 mm, apex mucronate.

stamens 2;

anthers 0.6–0.8 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas 0.7–2.1 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers ellipsoid, 0.2 mm, connective not prolonged;

styles 0.3–0.4 mm;

stigmas 0.3 mm.

brown, ellipsoid, 1.2–1.4 × 0.6–0.8 mm, network of ridges forming isodiametric or square cells, slightly stipitate, apex apiculate, surfaces minutely punctate.

light brown, ellipsoid, 0.7–0.9 × 0.4 mm, base barely stipelike to narrowly cuneate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.