Flora of North America species comparison

to 5.

round or flat.

to 1.8 cm, 1/2–1 1/3 height of plant.

mostly basal;

sheath margins fused or overlapping, often with 2 earlike extensions (auricles) at blade junction;

blade flat or round, glabrous or margins hairy.

solitary flowers.

of headlike clusters or single flowers variously arranged;

bracts subtending inflorescence 1 or more2, mostly leaflike;

bracts subtending inflorescence branches 1–2, reduced;

bracteoles subtending solitary flower 0–2, translucent, reduced.

2-merous;

: tepals 4(–6), erect to recurved at maturity, reddish, 1.5–3 × 0.5–1.2 mm;

outer and outer series nearly equal, apex rounded to acute;

stamens 2(–3), filaments 0.5–1.4 mm, anthers 0.3–0.7 mm;

style 0.1–0.4 mm, stigma 2(–3), 0.3–1 mm.

usually bisexual, radially symmetric;

sepals and petals similar, persistent, green to brown or purplish black;

stamens usually 3 or 6;

anthers persistent, linear;

pistils 1;

ovaries superior, locules 1 or 3, placentas 1 and basal or 3 and axile or parietal;

stigmas generally longer than styles.

capsules, loculicidal.

reddish, 2–- or 3-locular, obovoid to ellipsoid or oblate, 1.9–3.5 × 1–2 mm.

ovoid to oblate, 0.3–0.55 mm.

3–many, often with white appendages on 1 or both ends.