Flora of North America species comparison

long- creeping.

erect, 2–5 mm diam.

round or flat.

several.

blade absent.

mostly basal;

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

blade flat or round, glabrous or margins hairy.

lateral, many flowered, loose;

primary bract barely exceeding to many times longer than inflorescence.

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.

variously pedicellate;

bracteoles membranous;

tepals greenish to pale brown, lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm;

inner series loosely subtending capsule at maturity, usually slightly shorter, margins scarious to clear, acutish;

stamens 6, filaments 0.3–0.9 mm, anthers 1–2.5 mm;

style 1–1.5 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.

dark brown, 3-locular, oblate to narrowly ovoid, 3–4 mm, nearly equal to perianth.

dark amber, oblate to ellipsoid, 0.5–0.8 mm.

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