Flora of North America species comparison

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

horizontal, short.

weakly cespitose or solitary, 8–40 cm.

densely cespitose, 10–30(–35) cm.

basal leaves few;

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

basal blade green, 5–10 cm × 2–4 mm, firm, essentially glabrous;

cauline leaves 2–3, 3–7 cm × 3–5 mm.

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.

branches spreading less than 90°, lax;

proximal inflorescence bract leaflike, 0.8–1.5 cm;

bracts and bracteoles brown, clear at apex, margins strongly ciliate.

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.

single or in clusters of 2–3;

tepals dark brown, 1–2.5 mm, ± equal, apex acute, not reflexed;

anthers ± equaling filament length;

stigmas 5 times style length.

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

dark brown, ellipsoid, shorter than 2.5 mm, longer than tepals;

beak absent.

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.9–1.3 mm;

caruncle 0.5–0.7 mm.

light yellow-brown, lanceolate, narrowed at ends, 1.2 mm.

= 12.

= 24.