Flora of North America species comparison

2–3 mm diam., not swollen.

long, thick, scaly.

erect to decumbent (and floating), terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.

gray-green, 2–5 mm diam.

1, maroon to straw-colored, apex acute to obtuse.

2–5.

basal 0–2, cauline (1–)3–6;

auricles 0.5–1 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade green to straw-colored, terete, 3.5–12 cm × 0.5–1.1 mm.

basal, 1–3;

auricles absent;

blade terete, 40–80 cdm × 1.5–2.5 mm.

terminal panicles of 3–30(–50) heads, 3.5–8 cm, branches spreading;

primary bract erect;

heads 3–10-flowered, obpyramidal to hemispheric, 6–8 mm diam.

sympodial or appearing lateral, glomerules to 150, each with 2–6 perfect or pistillate flowers, congested to open, 4–20 × 5–10 cm;

primary bracts terete, longer than inflorescence.

tepals green to straw-colored or dark brown, ovate to lanceolate, 1.8–3 mm;

outer tepals with apex acute or acuminate;

inner tepals with apex acute acuminate to obtuse;

stamens 6, anthers equal to filament length.

tepals pale brown, 2.5–3.3 mm, apex acuminate;

outer series acuminate;

inner series slightly shorter, acutish;

stamens 6, sometimes rudimentary, filaments 0.2–0.7 mm, anthers 1.3–2.5 mm;

style 0.3–1 mm.

exserted ca. 1 mm beyond perianth, chestnut brown to dark brown, imperfectly 3-locular, ellipsoid or ovoid, 2.8–4 mm, apex acute proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.

brown, 3-locular, ovoid to oblate, 1.7–3 × 1.3–1.6 mm, mostly distinctly shorter than perianth, apiculate.

obovoid, 0.5 mm, not tailed.

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.4–0.6 mm, not tailed.

= 80.