Flora of North America species comparison

widely creeping, sparingly branched, 1.5–2 mm diam., nodes closely set.

long, thick, scaly.

terete, 1 mm diam.

gray-green, 2–5 mm diam.

several.

2–5.

blade absent.

basal, 1–3;

auricles absent;

blade terete, 40–80 cdm × 1.5–2.5 mm.

3–10(–12)-flowered, loosely congested, 1–2 cm;

primary bract terete, nearly equaling to much longer than culm.

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.

pedicellate;

bracteoles broadly ovate, tepals light brown or green, lanceolate, 2.5–4.2 mm;

inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity, slightly shorter, margins scarious;

stamens 6, filaments 0.5–0.9 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm;

style 0.2 mm.

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.

tan, 3-locular, nearly globose, 2.5–3 × 1.8–2.1 mm, shorter than perianth.

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

amber, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.

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

= 40, 70, 80, 84.