Flora of North America species comparison

roundly trigonous, 10–50 cm × 0.9–2.4 mm.

1–10(–25), roundly trigonous, 3–12 cm × 0.3–0.8 mm, glabrous.

adaxial face concave, becoming flat to trigonous apically, 10–46 cm × 1.5–4 mm, margins involute.

1–3–(4), 1–6 cm × 1(–1.5) mm.

spikes ovoid, 1–5.5 cm wide;

rays usually 3–6, 0.5–5 cm, glabrous;

sometimes absent in small plants;

if absent, inflorescence a congested head of spikelets 1–3.5 cm diam.; 2d order rays 0–3, 1–3 cm;

bracts 3–5, vertical to ascending at 45°, 2.5–25 cm × 1.2–4 mm, margins involute; 2d order bracts 0–2, 5–20 mm;

rachilla persistent, wingless.

if rays absent heads single, dense, sessile, digitate, 5–20 × 10–30 mm, single heads 10–30(–50) mm;

rays usually absent, if present 1–8 cm; 2d order rays infrequently present, 1–2 cm;

bracts 3–6, erect to oblique, flat to V-shaped,(0.5–)2–10(–15) cm × 0.5–2 mm.

5–24, greenish yellow to golden brown, oblong to linear-lanceoloid, quadrangular, strongly compressed, 7–20(–30) × 2.5–4(–6) mm;

floral scales 10–20(–40), spreading, pale green to stramineous, laterally 2–3-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, 3.1–4 × 1.5–2.4 mm, apex with mucro 0.2–0.8 mm.

5–10(–20), linear to linear-lanceoloid, (5–)8–12(–35) × 1.6–2.3(–2.5) mm;

floral scales (6–)16–30(–76), laterally glossy reddish brown to brown, medially greenish, sometimes also reddish or brownish, laterally ribless, medially strongly 3-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, 1.9–2(–2.3) mm (including prominent excurved cusp of 0.3–0.5 mm) × 0.8–1.1 mm, apex truncate, emarginate, or cuspidate.

anthers 0.6–0.8 mm;

styles 0.8–1.6 mm;

stigmas 1–1.4 mm.

stamens (1–)2–3;

anthers ellipsoid, 0.3 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.3–0.4 mm;

stigmas 0.4–0.7 mm.

light to dark brown, rarely somewhat reddish, stipitate, ellipsoid, 2–2.4 × 0.5–0.8 mm, base cuneate, stipe whitish, spongy, 0.2–0.3 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apex acute, persistent style forming beak 0.5–1.2 mm, surfaces glabrous or finely papillose.

brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid to oblong, 0.8–0.9 × 0.4–0.5 mm, apex abruptly apiculate, surfaces papillose.