Flora of North America species comparison

conspicuous.

loosely cespitose, light green, 15–25 cm.

not cespitose, decumbent, 10–20 cm.

short, slender.

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, 2.5–15 cm × 4 mm, apex callous, pilose.

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.

racemose;

glomerules 2–6, central glomerules sessile or all congested, not cylindric;

peduncles straight, divergent as much as 90°, to 3 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract dark, often purplish, leaflike.

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

anthers equal to or exceeding filaments.

tepals dark reddish, shining, with wide clear margins and apex, (apex acuminate, midrib extending as awned tip), 3–3.5 mm;

outer and inner whorls equal;

anthers ca. 2–6 times filament length;

stigmas ± equal to style.

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

brown, shining, (usually lighter than tepals), conspicuously shorter than to nearly equal to tepals; (beak obvious).

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

caruncle barely visible.

reddish, globose, 1–1.3 mm;

caruncle to 1/2 seed length.

= 36.

= 12.