Flora of North America species comparison

solitary or few together, 5–35(–70) cm, usually not more than 1 mm diam. basally;

basal sheaths persistent, brown or reddish, septate-nodulose.

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

blades channeled or strongly involute, 3–12 cm;

distal leaves usually bladeless with black-tipped sheath.

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.

involucre absent.

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

solitary, erect, broadly obovoid to subglobose in fruit, 8–12(–40) mm;

scales gray to blackish green;

proximal empty scales not more than 7, ovate, 4–10 mm, midrib not reaching tip;

distal scales narrower, more attenuate, margins hyaline, not more than 1 mm wide.

(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, bright white, sometimes red-tinged, 15–30 mm, smooth;

anthers 0.5–1.5 mm.

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

anthers 1–2.5 mm.

narrowly oblong, 0.4–2.5 mm, apex with subulate beak.

narrowly obovoid, 1.5–3 mm.

= 58.