Flora of North America species comparison

1–2 mm diam., not swollen.

erect, terete, 1–3 mm diam., smooth.

0–1, straw-colored to chestnut brown, apex acute.

2–25 cdm × 1.5–4 mm.

basal 1–2, cauline 0–1;

auricles 1–1.2 mm, apex rounded to acute, membranaceous or scarious;

blade green to straw-colored, terete, 3–15 cm × 0.3–0.6 mm.

3–20 heads;

heads obovoid to globose.

terminal single head (rarely cluster of 2 heads), 0.5–1.6 cm;

primary bract erect;

heads 12–60-flowered, spheric (to hemispheric), 4.5–15 mm diam.

outer tepals 2.7–3.6 mm;

inner tepals 2.7–3 mm;

stamens 6.

tepals dark purplish brown to black, lanceolate to lance-ovate, apex acute, mucro subulate;

outer tepals 2.4–4.9 mm;

inner tepals 2.3–4.3 mm;

stamens 6, anthers 1/4 to equal filament length.

slightly exserted, ellipsoid, 2.4–4.3 mm.

included or slightly exserted, chestnut brown, 1-locular, obovoid, 1.9–3.5 mm, apex obtuse or rounded, valves separating at dehiscence, fertile throughout or only proximal to middle.

0.4–1 mm, tailed or more often not tailed.

ellipsoid, 0.4–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

= 40.