Flora of North America species comparison

to 45 cm × 0.2–1 mm.

often spreading or reclining, 2–25 cm × 0.3–1 mm.

distal leaf sheaths persistent, firm, distally tightly sheathing, apex acute.

apex of distal leaf sheath acute to acuminate, tooth sometimes present, to 0.2 mm.

orbicular to ovoid, 1–9 × 1–4 mm, apex rounded to acute;

proximal scale without flower, not amplexicaulous;

floral scales to 125, 11–14 per mm of rachilla, tightly appressed, dark red-brown to stramineous, ovate to elliptic, 0.8–3 × 0.6–2(–2.3) mm, membranous to cartilaginous, apex rounded to acute.

ovoid, 2–7 × 1–4 mm, apex subacute;

proximal scale either with flower or empty, base encircling 1/2 of culm;

floral scales 50–100, 10 per mm of rachilla, orange to purple-brown, ovate, 1–1.5 × 0.8 mm, midrib slightly keeled, apex rounded to acute.

perianth bristles (0–)4–8, typically 7, red-brown, rarely whitish, vestigial to much exceeding tubercle, typically equaling achene, spinules few to dense;

styles 2-fid.

perianth bristles absent;

stamens 2(–3);

anthers yellow, 0.2–0.3 mm;

styles 2-fid or some 3-fid.

brown ripening to black, biconvex, orbicular to obpyriform, 0.5–1.1 × 0.3–0.7 mm, apex rarely constricted proximal to tubercle, very finely reticulate at 40X.

0.7–1 × 0.6–0.9 mm.

stramineous to whitish, umbonate to subconic, 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.5 mm, apex rounded to acute.

deltoid 0.1–0.2 × 0.25–0.45 mm, 1/3–1/2 as high as wide, 1/8–1/4 as high and 3/4–9/10 as wide as achene.

= 10.