Flora of North America species comparison

solitary or few together, somewhat trigonous, (20–)30–70(–80) cm, stout, to 1.5(–4) mm diam. basally;

basal sheaths persistent, brown to purplish brown, septate-nodulose.

trigonous, (10–)20–100 cm × 0.6–2 mm distally, scabrous distally.

blades filiform, trigonous-channeled, (2–)3–10 cm × 1–2 mm;

distal 1–2 leaf sheaths bladeless, inflated.

blades flat, to 45 cm × 1–6 mm;

distal leaf longer than sheath.

involucral bracts absent.

involucral bracts 2–5, sheathless, scalelike, 0.4–0.8(–2.2) cm, apex sometimes mucronate.

solitary, erect, globose in fruit, 1.5–2(–4) cm;

scales blackish to purplish brown;

proximal empty scales not more than 7, obovate or trigonous-obovate, 4–20 mm, margins white or paler, as wide as dark portion, apex blunt;

distal scales obovate to ovate-lanceolate, margins hyaline, 1 mm wide or wider.

5–30 or more, usually in dense head, occasionally 1 or 2 conspicuous branches, subsessile, oblong-lanceoloid, 3–10 mm in flower and fruit;

scales brown, with pale brown or green, often red-spotted, 1–3-ribbed center, ovate-oblong, 2.5–4 mm, apex acute.

perianth bristles 10 or more, red-brown to white, 20–40 mm, smooth;

anthers (0.6–)1.5–3 mm.

perianth bristles usually 6, pale brown, 3–9 mm, usually antrorsely barbed;

anthers 1.2–2 mm.

oblong-obovoid, 2–2.7 mm, as wide as long, apex apiculate (0.3–0.5 mm).

dark brown or gray brown, oblong-obovoid, 1.5–3 mm.

= 58.