Flora of North America species comparison

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

roundly trigonous, 80–120 cm × 3–6 mm, glabrous.

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

5–12, V-shaped, 30–75 cm × 8–14 mm, septate, leathery, margins harshly scabrid.

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.

spikes 1–4 per ray, loosely ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 12–20 × 8–12 mm;

rays 6–9, 3–10(–12) cm; 2d order rays 1–4, 1–2 cm;

rachis 4–12 mm;

bracts 5–10, horizontal to ascending at 30°, 15–40 cm × 4–8(–11) mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, hyaline, fragile, 0.3 mm wide, covering less than 1/2 of achene.

(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.

40–80, narrowly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, roughly quadrangular to weakly flattened, 5–8 × 1.2–1.5 mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales (1–)2(–3), ascending, brick red, medially greenish, laterally 3–4-ribbed, medially 1–3-ribbed, green, ovate, 2.2–3.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm, apex subacute.

stamens 2;

anthers 0.6–0.8 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm;

stigmas 0.7–2.1 mm.

anthers (0.7–)1–1.5 mm, filaments 4–4.7 mm;

styles 0.5–0.9 mm;

stigmas 2–3 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.

brown, ellipsoid to oblong-fusiform, 1.7–1.8 × 0.7 mm, base cuneate, apex subacute and apiculate, surfaces finely puncticulate to glabrous.