Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, (5–)20–60 cm × (0.2–) 0.6–2.4 mm, glabrous.

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

(1–)3–4, V-shaped, 15–40 cm × 3–6 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.

spikes 2–5(–8), oblong to ovoid, 2–10 cm × 3–12 mm;

rays 4–8, to 11 cm;

bracts (4–)5(–7), ascending at 45°, V-shaped, (1.5–)8–30(–50) cm × 1–6 mm;

rachilla persistent, wingless (successive floral scales 0.7–0.9 mm apart).

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).

10–30, compressed, linear to ellipsoid, 4–20 × 1.5–2.1 mm;

floral scales deciduous, (2–)6–26, laterally brown to golden brown, edges clear, medially green, 5-ribbed, outermost ribs more noticeable than others, obovate to nearly orbiculate, 1.3–1.8 × 1.2–1.8 mm, margins emarginate, apex with mucro 0.05–0.12 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.3–0.6 mm.

stamens 2(–3);

anthers (0.2–)0.3–0.4 mm, connective tips reddish, less than 0.1 mm;

styles less than 0.1 mm;

stigmas 0.2–0.4 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, 1.2–1.4 × 0.5–0.7 mm, apex apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.