Flora of North America species comparison

long- creeping.

1–8, 0.3–0.5 mm diam.

erect, 1–3 mm diam.

1–2.

several.

basal, 2–4;

auricles slightly prolonged, rounded, scarious to ± leathery;

blade deeply channeled, 2–10 cm, mostly shorter than culms.

blade usually absent (present in var. mexicanus).

solitary heads, each with 2–3(–50) flowers;

primary bracts brownish, nearly equal to or slightly shorter thanabout equaling inflorescence.

lateral, 3–many-flowered, loose to congested;

primary bract barely exceeding to many times longer than inflorescence.

tepals pale brown or darker, oblong-lanceolate, 3–5 mm, outer and inner series nearly equal;

stamens 6, filaments 2.5–4 mm, anthers 0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.5–0.8 mm.

variously pedicellate;

bracteoles membranous;

tepals chestnut brown or paler, lanceolate, (2.5–)3.3–5.5(–6) mm, margins clear;

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

stamens 6, filaments 0.2–1.1 mm, anthers 0.9–2.2 mm;

style 0.9–1.5 mm.

tan, pseudo-3-locular, 3-gonous–cylindric, apex obtuse, mucronate.

3-locular or infrequently pseudo-3-locular, oblate to narrowly ovoid, 3.5–4(–4.5) mm, equal to or exceeding perianth.

tan or darker, fusiform, body 0.5–1 mm, tails 0.6–1 mm.

dark amber, oblate to ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 mm.