Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, 30–50(–80) cm × 1.8–2.5 mm, glabrous.

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

4–7(–10), V-shaped, (20–)40–60 cm × 4.5–8 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.

heads dense, hemispheric, 7–15(–18) mm diam;

or if rays absent, heads dense, irregularly lobate, 2–3.5 cm diam.;

rays 3–6, 1–30 mm; 2d order rays infrequently present, to 5 mm;

bracts (5–)10–15(–40), horizontal to ascending at 30(–45)°, V-shaped, 6–30(–40) cm × 5–8(–10) 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).

40–100, greenish white, flattened, ovoid, 3.5–5 × 3–4 mm;

floral scales (8–)12–16, uniformly light greenish to light brown, laterally 1-ribbed, medially indistinctly 3-ribbed, basally 2-keeled, oblong-spatulate, widest at or above median, 2–2.5 × (0.7–)1–1.2 mm, apex minutely mucronate, scabridulous, infrequently glabrous.

stamen 1;

anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.3–0.6 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers oblong, 0.7–1 mm, connective apex subulate, prolonged 0.1–0.2 mm;

styles thick, confluent with apex of, and persistent on, achene, 0.5–0.8 mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 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, stipitate, linear, slightly curved, 1.2–1.4 × 0.2(–0.3) mm, base whitish, stipe spongy, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2 mm, apex acute, surfaces papillose.