Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous to terete, 20–100 cm × 2–6 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous, often flopping over and rooting at base of rays.

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

blades reduced to sheath.

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.

rays 100–250, 5–16 cm; 2d order rays 0.5–5 cm;

bracts 2–3, horizontal or reflexed, 4–12 cm × 1.5–4 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).

1–30, linear-lanceoloid, ellipsoid to narrowly ovoid, compressed-quadrangular, 6–17 × 1–1.5 mm;

floral scales 5–12, reddish brown, 1–3-ribbed, 1.2–1.7 × 0.7–0.9 mm, apex mucronulate.

stamen 1;

anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.3–0.6 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 1–1.2 mm;

styles 0.3 mm;

stigmas 1–1.3 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, obovoid, 0.4 × 0.2 mm, base stipelike to nearly cuneate, apex obtuse, surfaces finely reticulate.