Flora of North America species comparison

2–3 mm diam.

1–many, occasionally becoming decumbent.

erect, 2–5 mm diam.

0–2.

2, chestnut brown, apex acute.

basal and cauline;

auricles rudimentary or absent;

blade flat, 3–13 cm × 0.3–1.1 mm.

basal 2, cauline 1–2, light green;

auricles absent;

blade 1–15 cm × 2–5 mm.

loose and diffuse or less often compact, usually at least ½1/2 total height of plant;

primary bract shorter than inflorescence.

panicles of (2–)10–77 heads, 2–9.5 cm with ascending to erect branches, or heads solitary;

primary bract erect;

heads 3–35-flowered, spheric to obovoid, 0.5–1.2 mm diam.

bracteoles 2;

tepals greenish, lanceolate, 3.8–7(–8.5) mm;

inner series slightly shorter, apex sometimes obtuse;

stamens 3–6, filaments (0.7–)1–1.8 mm, anthers 0.3–0.8 mm;

style 0.1–0.2 mm.

tepals dark brown to purplish brown, lanceolate, 3.3–4.8 mm, nearly equal;

outer tepals acuminate, mucro subulate;

inner tepals acuminate or cuspidate, mucro subulate;

stamens 6, anthers 2–3 times length of filaments.

tan to reddish brown, 3-locular, ellipsoid to narrowly so, slightly truncate, 2.7–4 × 1–1.5 mm, sometimes exceeding inner tepals but usually not outer series.

included, chestnut brown or straw-colored, 1-locular, oblong, 3.8–5.6 mm (including beak), apex acute proximal to beak, beak slightly exserted.

yellowish, widely ellipsoid to ovoid, 0.26–0.49, not tailed.

obovoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.

= 27–37, 58–81, 108–115.