Flora of North America species comparison

densely cespitose, 5-20 cm.

loosely cespitose, (20–)30–100 cm, base often reddish, often distinctly so at proximal internodes.

to 5 cm or absent.

sheaths brown to straw-colored;

basal leaves to 10 cm × 4 mm;

cauline leaves usually 2, reduced.

sheath throat with long, soft hairs;

basal leaf blade 12–17 cm × 5–10 mm, mostly glabrous;

cauline leaves 3–6, dull yellowish or bluish to gray-green to shiny, bright green, 7–9 cm × 3–5 mm, apex acute to acuminate.

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.

anthelate, few-to-many flowered, 4–20 × 4–12 cm;

major branches spreading less than 90°, lax, often arching;

proximal inflorescence bract inconspicuous to leaflike, to 5(–8) cm;

bract margins entire to lacerate;

bracteoles clear or brown, margins entire to lacerate.

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

anthers ± equaling filament length.

(1–)2–4, crowded or open;

tepals pale brown to brown, broadly lanceolate, 1.8–2.5 mm, apex acute, not reflexed;

anthers equaling to shorter than filaments;

stigmas well exceeding style.

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

straw-colored to dark brown to blackish, spheric, less than 2.5 mm, equal to generally longer than tepals;

beak absent.

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

brown to brownish red or purple, ellipsoid, 1.1–1.5 mm.

= 24.

= 24.