Flora of North America species comparison

poorly developed.

erect, compressed, bases often swollen.

erect or decumbent and rooting at nodes, or floating, terete, 1–2 mm diam., smooth.

1, straw-colored, apex acute.

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.

basal 1, cauline 0–1;

auricles 0.4–1 mm, apex acute, scarious;

blade terete, occasionally filiform, flaccid, forming carpets, 2–10 cm × 0.8–1.4 mm.

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

primary bract shorter than inflorescence.

terminal racemes of 1–8(–30) heads, or single head, 2–10 cm, branches erect;

primary bract erect;

heads 2–6(–15)-flowered, obconic, 4.5–6.5 mm diam.

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.

often forming bulbils;

tepals pale brown, ovate to lanceolate or inner oblong, 2–3.6 mm, nearly equal, apex acute to obtuse;

stamens 3 or 6, anthers 3/4 to equal filament length.

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

equaling perianth or exserted (to 0.5 mm beyond tepals), chestnut brown, 1-locular, cylindric, 2.5–4 mm, apex obtuse proximal to beak, valves separating at dehiscence.

fusiform, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed.

ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.