Flora of North America species comparison

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

terete, 40–60(–90)cm, glabrous.

flat, 35–70 cm × 4–9(–12) mm.

spikes loosely ovoid, 15–25 mm wide;

rays 1–6, 2–7 cm;

bracts 2–5, 3–20 cm, ascending;

rachilla deciduous, winged.

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.

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.

(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.

anthers 0.3–0.4 mm;

styles 1 mm;

stigmas 1.3–1.6 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers 1 mm;

styles 1 mm;

stigmas 0.5 mm.

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

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.