Flora of North America species comparison

roundly trigonous to terete, 30–80 cm × 1–1.6 mm, glabrous.

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

1–6, 10–40 cm, glabrous or essentially so.

1–3–(4), 1–6 cm × 1(–1.5) mm.

heads ovoid to pyramidal, 9–15 mm diam.;

rays 0 or 3–6, 0.5–4 cm, glabrous;

bracts 3–4, longest erect, appearing as continuation of culm, others horizontal to ascending, 4–17 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

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.

25–60, reddish with contrasting yellowish or greenish edges, oblong-lanceoloid, strongly compressed, 5–6(–15) × 1.5–2.5 mm;

floral scales 10–22, laterally reddish, medially yellowish green, 2-keeled, laterally strongly 1-ribbed on each side, proximally grooved, ovate-elliptic, 1.4–2.2 × 0.8–1.5 mm, apex acute, apically scabridulous (sometimes glabrous).

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.

stamen 1;

anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.3–0.6 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.

reddish brown, stipitate, ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.8–0.9 × 0.3–0.4 mm, stipe 0.1–0.2 mm, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces reticulate or subtly rugulose.

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