Flora of North America species comparison

thickened.

cespitose, 9–35 cm.

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

to 5 cm or absent.

basal leaves 6–11.5 cm × 1.5–4 mm, apex not callous, sparingly ciliate.

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.

umbellate-paniculate;

glomerules 4–30 (each with 9–24 flowers), central glomerules sessile or nearly sessile, cylindric, 6–10 × 4 mm;

branches straight, erect, to 3 cm;

proximal inflorescence bract conspicuous, leaflike, equal to much longer than inflorescence;

bracts clear, sometimes variegated with purple;

bracteole margins dentate to lacerate.

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 clear to straw-colored throughout or centers brown with clear margins and apex, 1.5–2.6 mm;

outer whorl exceeding inner whorl, (outer whorl apex awned);

anthers equaling to 1.5 times 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.

light or dark reddish, shining, spheric, usually equaling inner tepal whorl.

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

beak absent.

translucent brown, ellipsoid, 0.7–1 mm;

caruncle 0.2–0.3 mm.

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

= 12.

= 24.