Flora of North America species comparison

short.

cespitose, 15–30(–35) cm.

round or flat.

sheath throat acutely angled, pilose;

basal leaf blade 5–10 cm × 3–8 mm, apex short acuminate, mostly glabrous;

cauline leaves (1–)2–4, 3–5 cm × 2–4 mm.

mostly basal;

sheath margins fused or overlapping, often with 2 earlike extensions (auricles) at blade junction;

blade flat or round, glabrous or margins hairy.

anthelate, few flowered;

main branches generally 2–4, spreading less than 90°, lax, usually arching;

proximal inflorescence bract 1 cm or less;

bracts and bracteoles brown;

margins with long curly cilia.

of headlike clusters or single flowers variously arranged;

bracts subtending inflorescence 1 or more2, mostly leaflike;

bracts subtending inflorescence branches 1–2, reduced;

bracteoles subtending solitary flower 0–2, translucent, reduced.

solitary on short pedicels;

tepals dark purplish brown (margins finely lacerate toward apex), 2–2.5 mm, margins finely lacerate toward apex, apex acute, not reflexed;

anthers ± equaling filament length;

stigmas 2 times style length.

usually bisexual, radially symmetric;

sepals and petals similar, persistent, green to brown or purplish black;

stamens usually 3 or 6;

anthers persistent, linear;

pistils 1;

ovaries superior, locules 1 or 3, placentas 1 and basal or 3 and axile or parietal;

stigmas generally longer than styles.

capsules, loculicidal.

dark brown, less than 2.5 mm, slightly longer than tepals;

beak absent.

dark reddish brown, cylindric, 1.2–1.6 mm;

caruncle essentially absent.

3–many, often with white appendages on 1 or both ends.

= 24.