Flora of North America species comparison

short, slender, bearing few to several white, swollen (storage) leaf bases.

densely cespitose, 5-20 cm.

weakly cespitose or solitary, 8–40 cm.

sheaths brown to straw-colored;

basal leaves to 10 cm × 4 mm;

cauline leaves usually 2, reduced.

basal leaves few;

cauline leaves 2–3, to 17 cm × 7 mm, margins scarcely to densely ciliate.

glomerules 1-3, sessile;

proximal inflorescence bract inconspicuous, brown, much shorter to ± equaling inflorescence, apex often clear, dentate;

bracts deep brown, margins dentate;

bracteoles deep brown, margins dentate.

glomerules 3–20 (each with 6–20 flowers), central glomerules sessile or nearly sessile, cylindric, 5–12 × 5–7 mm;

peduncles straight, erect, 0.5–7 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract leaflike (margins pilose), shorter than inflorescence, margins pilose;

bracts purplish with long clear apex, sheathing, margins sparsely to densely ciliate;

bracteoles white-clear, shining, margins fimbriate.

tepals deep brown with narrow clear margins and apex, 1.7-2.1 mm;

anthers ± equaling filament length.

tepals with shining chestnut centers and usually wide clear margins and apex, 2–3 mm;

outer whorl usually exceeding inner whorl, at least by awned tip;

anthers 1–2 times filament length;

stigmas 3–4 times length of styles.

dark reddish to blackish, shining, spheric, 1.8-2.1 mm, usually exceeding tepals.

brown, shining, obovoid (apex truncate), equal or longer than tepals, apex truncate.

translucent, clear brown, broadly elliptic, with few entangled hairs, 1-1.2 mm.

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.9–1.3 mm;

caruncle 0.5–0.7 mm.

= 24.

= 12.