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.

20–90 cm × 0.9–1.2 mm 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 × 2–6 mm;

distal leaf blade much longer than sheath.

involucral bracts absent.

blade-bearing involucral bracts 2–4, sometimes brown-tinged proximally, leaflike, to 7 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.

3–30, in subumbels, lax, oblong-ovoid, 6–10 mm in flower, 15–30 mm in fruit;

peduncles (2–)10–60 mm, scabrous;

scales dark green to gray, pale proximally, darker distally, ovate to lanceolate, 4–6 mm, margins scarious 0–0.1 mm wide, to 12 weak lateral ribs, midrib prominent, enlarged distally, reaching tip, sometimes excurrent, apex acute.

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 to pale brown, 15–25 mm, smooth;

anthers 0.8–2 mm.

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

dark brown, narrowly obovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm.

= 58.