Flora of North America species comparison

1–3 mm diam., with swollen nodes.

densely branching.

erect, terete, 3–5 mm diam., smooth.

1–20.

0.

1–3.

basal 1–3, cauline 2–5, auricles 1–4 mm, apex rounded, scarious;

blade strawberry-colored, green, or pink, terete, 13–30 cm × 1–5 mm.

basal, 2–3;

auricles yellowish, 0.2–0.4 mm, leathery;

blade flat, 5–30 cm × 0.5–1 mm, margins entire, turned up, occasionally involute.

terminal clusters of 1–23 heads or single heads, 2–5.5 cm, branches spreading;

primary bract erect to ascending;

heads 25–100-flowered, globose, 10–15 mm diam.

compact and few flowered to loose and lax with to 80 flowers, 1.5–5(–9) cm;

primary bract usually exceeding inflorescence.

tepals green to straw-colored, occasionally reddish, lanceolate-subulate;

outer tepals (3.7–)4–6 mm, apex acuminate;

inner tepals (3–) 3.4–4.6 mm, apex acuminate;

stamens 6, anthers 1/2 filament length.

bracteoles 2;

tepals greenish, lanceolate, 4–5 mm;

inner series nearly equal, spreading in fruit, nearly equal to or exceeding capsule;

stamens 6, filaments 0.8–1.2 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm;

style 0.2 mm.

equaling perianth or slightly exserted, straw-colored or chestnut brown, 1-locular, lance-subulate, 4.3–5.7 mm, apex tapering to subulate tip, valves separating at dehiscence, fertile throughout or only proximal to middle.

tan, 1-locular to pseudo-3-locular, ellipsoid, 2.9–3.6 × 1.5–1.9 mm.

oblong to ellipsoid, 0.4–0.5 mm, not tailed;

body clear yellow-brown.

tan to amber, ellipsoid to lunate, 0.4–0.67 mm, not tailed.

= 40.

= ca. 84.