Flora of North America species comparison

to 1.5 cm or shorter, knotty.

loosely cespitose, light green, 15–25 cm.

loosely cespitose, 15–45 cm, base sometimes swollen.

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 4–15 cm × 2–7 mm, margins pilose to sparsely hairy, apex not callous.

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 4–15, central glomerules sessile or nearly sessile, broadly conic or globose (often loosely flowered);

peduncles straight, divergent by as much as 90°, to 9 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract leaflike, not longer than inflorescence;

bracts and bracteoles clear, variously cut.

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

anthers equal to or exceeding filaments.

tepals greenish to pale or dark brown, usually with clear margins and apex, 2.8–4 mm;

anthers ca. 2–5 times filament length;

stigmas 2–3 times length of styles.

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

pale to dark brown, obovoid to subglobose, usually shorter than tepals.

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

caruncle barely visible.

dark brown, globose, 1.2–1.6 mm;

caruncle 0.5–0.6 mm.

= 36.

= 12.