Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous to terete, (25–)40–60(–90) cm, glabrous.

flat or V-shaped, (10–)25–50 cm × 5–8(–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 globose, (10–)20–40 mm diam.;

rays (0–)3–10, 2.5–5(–12) cm; 2d order rays usually absent (when present, 0.5–1.5 cm);

bracts 4–8, horizontal to ascending at 15–30°, flat (or V-shaped), 3–30(–50) cm × 1.5–8(–12) 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.

(20–)30–50(–70), oblong, compressed, 5–20 × 2.2–3 mm;

floral scales (12–)20–30(–50), off-white to golden brown, basally 2-keeled, laterally ribless, ovate-deltate, 2–2.3 × 1–1.4 mm (declined 30–40º from rachilla).

anthers 0.3–0.4 mm;

styles 1 mm;

stigmas 1.3–1.6 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers 1–1.2 mm;

styles 1–1.2 mm;

stigmas 0.5 mm.

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

black or dark brown, stipitate, broadly ellipsoid, 1.2–1.4 × 0.5–0.6 mm, stipe to 0.1 mm, apex apiculate, beak 0.2–0.3 mm, surfaces puncticulate.