Flora of North America species comparison

2–40 cm × 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.

terete, 2–15 cm × 0.15–0.3 mm, firm to soft.

apex of distal leaf sheath obtuse to acute, tooth to 0.3 mm.

distal leaf sheaths persistent, not splitting, proximally stramineous to reddish, distally green or stramineous to reddish, membranous, apex often red, obtuse to acute, tooth absent.

lanceoloid to subcylindric or ovoid, 5–10(–20) × 2–3(–4) mm, apex acute (to rounded);

proximal scale empty, encircling ca. 2/3 of culm;

floral scales 25–100(–200), 8–12 per mm of rachilla, orangebrown to stramineous, 2(–2.5) × 1–1.3 mm, midribs mostly keeled, ovate, apex narrowly rounded to subacute.

ovoid, 1–4 × 1–2 mm, obtuse to acute;

proximal scale amplexicaulous, apex entire;

subproximal scale with flower;

floral scales spreading in fruit, 5–30, 8 per mm of rachilla, medium to very dark brown, midrib region often pale or greenish, broadly ovate, 1–1.3 × 1 mm, apex rounded, entire, not carinate.

perianth bristles present or often absent, 5–8, brown, stout, rudimentary to slightly exceeding tubercle;

stamens (2–)3;

anthers brown to yellow, 0.3–0.7(–1) mm;

styles 2–3-fid.

perianth bristles absent;

stamens 3;

anthers yellow, 0.3 mm;

styles 3-fid.

0.9–1.1(–1.5) × 0.7–1.1 mm.

persistent after scales fall, to dark yellow-orange or brown, broadly obpyriform, trigonous, angles evident, 0.6–0.65 × 0.5–0.55 mm, rugulose at 20–30X, 20 blunt horizontal ridges in each vertical series.

depressed, subdeltoid, 0.1–0.3(–0.4) × 0.6–0.9(–1) mm, 1/10–2/5 as high as wide, 1/4 or less as high as achene, 9/10 as wide as achene, very rarely 2/5 as high as achene (in E. engelmannii var. robusta).

brown, greatly depressed, rudimentary, 0.05–15 × 0.15–0.3 mm.

= 10.