Flora of North America species comparison

similar to stolons.

loosely cespitose, 10–40 cm × width3–5 mm.

round or flat.

to 6 cm, scale leaves present.

sheaths reddish, throat pilose;

blade sparsely pubescent;

basal leaves 32 cm × 12 mm;

cauline leaves 2–4, 2–4 cm × 2–5 mm.

mostly basal;

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

blade flat or round, glabrous or margins hairy.

cymose, not rarely branching or often branching to 6 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract 1/2–2/3 inflorescence length;

bracts straw-colored, apex truncate, lacerate, glabrous or pubescent;

bracteoles lance-ovate, 1/3–1/2 tepal length;

pedicels single or paired, erect to spreading, 1–4 cm.

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.

tepals pale to dark brown, 3–4.5 mm, margins entire, clear;

anthers 2 times filament length;

stigmas ± equaling style length.

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.

green to straw-colored, exceeding tepals;

beak a mucro;

valves widely spreading upon splitting.

reddish to brown, 1–1.5 mm;

caruncle curved, ± equaling length of seed body.

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

= 48.