Flora of North America species comparison

long- creeping.

poorly developed.

erect, 1–3 mm diam.

erect, compressed, bases often swollen.

several.

blade usually absent (present in var. mexicanus).

basal 2–4, cauline 1–3;

auricles 0.5–1 mm, apex rounded to nearly acute;

blade flat, 3–15 cm × 1–2.5 mm.

lateral, 3–many-flowered, loose to congested;

primary bract barely exceeding to many times longer than inflorescence.

glomerules, (1–)2–5(–10), each with (3–)6–15 flowers, open;

primary bract shorter than inflorescence.

variously pedicellate;

bracteoles membranous;

tepals chestnut brown or paler, lanceolate, (2.5–)3.3–5.5(–6) mm, margins clear;

inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity; usually slightly shorter, margins scarious to clear, apex acutish to obtuse;

stamens 6, filaments 0.2–1.1 mm, anthers 0.9–2.2 mm;

style 0.9–1.5 mm.

tepals straw-colored with green midstripe, lanceolate or widely so, 3.5–5 mm, margins sometimes clear;

outer and inner series nearly equal;

stamens 3, filaments 1.5 mm, anthers 0.5 mm;

style 0.5 mm.

3-locular or infrequently pseudo-3-locular, oblate to narrowly ovoid, 3.5–4(–4.5) mm, equal to or exceeding perianth.

tan to reddish brown, 3-locular, obovoid, 2.6–3.2 mm, shorter than perianth.

dark amber, oblate to ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 mm.

fusiform, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.