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.

20–60 cm × 0.5–0.8 mm, distally smooth.

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

distal 1–2 leaf sheaths bladeless, inflated.

blades trigonous-channeled in cross section, to 30 cm × 1–2 mm;

distal leaf blade 1–4 cm × 1–1.5 mm, shorter than its 3.5–5.5 cm sheath.

involucral bracts absent.

blade-bearing involucral bracts solitary, similar to distal leaf, blade usually gray or black proximally, 0.6–2 cm.

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.

(1–)2–5, in subumbels, narrowly ovoid, 7–10 mm in flower, 15–25 mm in fruit;

peduncles 5–30 mm, scabrous;

scales black or dark gray with black tip, broadly ovate, 3–4 mm, scarious, margins absent or to 0.1 mm wide, 5–9-ribbed, midrib prominent, usually dilated distally, reaching tip, apex obtuse-subacute.

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

anthers (0.6–)1.5–3 mm.

perianth bristles 10 or more, white, 10–15 mm, smooth;

anthers 1–2.5 mm.

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

narrowly obovoid, 1.5–3 mm.

= 58.