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.

40–120 cm × 0.6–1 mm, smooth or scabrous distally.

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

distal 1–2 leaf sheaths bladeless, inflated.

blades flat, trigonous in cross section distally, to 30 cm × 1.5–4 mm;

distal leaf blade much longer than sheath.

involucral bracts absent.

blade-bearing involucral bracts 2–5, sometimes brown-tinged proximally, leaflike, longest 4–12 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.

2–10, usually in dense head, ovoid, 6–10 mm in flower, 10–20 mm in fruit;

peduncles 2–10(–20) mm, scabrid;

scales brown, often with green center, ovate-oblong, 4–5 mm, obscurely ribbed or with 3–5 equally prominent ribs, apex obtuse.

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

anthers (0.6–)1.5–3 mm.

perianth bristles usually 10 or more, brown at least at base, rarely entirely white, 12–18 mm, smooth;

anthers 0.7–1.5 mm.

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

dark brown to black, narrowly obovoid or ellipsoid, 2.5–4 mm.

= 58.