Flora of North America species comparison

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

loosely cespitose, light green, 15–25 cm.

weakly cespitose or solitary, 8–40 cm.

sheaths dull brown-gray at base, becoming green distally, throats hairless;

basal leaves flat toward base, channeled toward apex, 4–16 cm × 3–8 mm, apex abruptly pointed, callous, glabrous.

basal leaves few;

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

asymmetric in appearance;

glomerules (1–)2–5, central glomerules sessile or nearly sessile, 3–9 × 2.5–6 mm;

capillary branches 2–8, arched in 1 direction, to 3.5 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract bladeless.

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 brownish translucent (apex lacerate to entire), 2–3 mm, apex lacerate to entire;

anthers equal to or exceeding filaments.

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.

light chestnut brown, broadly 3-angled, shorter than tepals.

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

most failing to mature, brown (with few hairs present), 3-angled, 0.9–1.1 mm, few hairs present;

caruncle barely visible.

dark brown, ellipsoid, 0.9–1.3 mm;

caruncle 0.5–0.7 mm.

= 36.

= 12.