Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, 5–25 cm × 1–1.5 mm, glabrous.

single or close together, trigonous, (10–)40–80(–120) cm × 1.2–2.5(–5) mm, glabrous.

2–5, pleated, (10–)20–50(–90) cm × 2–5(–10) mm.

spikes loosely ovoid, 15–25 mm wide;

rays 1–6, 2–7 cm;

bracts 2–5, 3–20 cm, ascending;

rachilla deciduous, winged.

spikes 1–4(–7), loose, broadly ovoid to ovoid-pyramidal, 25–35 × 25–35 mm;

rays (4–)5–6(–8), (1–)3–8(–16) cm, glabrous; 2d order rays (0–)1–5, 5–15(–50) mm;

bracts 4–7, ascending at 30–45°, pleated, (5–)20–40(–60) × (2–)3–8(–11) mm; 2d order bracts 1–4 per ray, 5–10(–30) × 0.5–1 mm, scabridulous;

rachilla persistent, wingless (or very narrowly winged, not clasping achene).

5–30, linear, flattened, 6–22 × 1.5–2.2 mm;

floral scales ± deciduous, (4–)8–12, red, reddish purple, or reddish brown, medially green, elliptic, laterally 2–4-ribbed, 2.3–3.1 × 1.2–2 mm, apex acute to obtuse.

(10–)20–35(–45), seemingly flattened proximally from spreading floral scales, becoming terete apically, linear, (10–)13–18(–25) × 1.2–1.5(–1.6) mm;

floral scales deciduous, (10–)12–20(–25), laterally light reddish brown to dark red, medially greenish, laterally ribless, medially 3–5-ribbed, oblong-ovate, 1.7–2(–2.4) × 0.9–1.2 mm, apex obtuse, barely reaching next scale, apex entire, emarginate, mucro at most 0.3 mm.

anthers 0.3–0.4 mm;

styles 1 mm;

stigmas 1.3–1.6 mm.

anthers 0.4–0.5 mm;

styles 0.3–0.6 mm;

stigmas 1–1.8(–2) mm.

brown to dark purplish brown, broadly ellipsoid, 1–1.3 × 0.6–0.9 mm, surfaces puncticulate.

dark brown, narrowly oblong, (1.3–)1.4–1.6(–1.7) × (0.3–)0.4–0.5 mm, base cuneate to ± stipelike, apex acute, not apiculate, surfaces papillose.