Flora of North America species comparison

erect or decumbent, branched mostly from base, not wiry, 15–100 cm.

erect, green or purplish brown, branched from base, not wiry, 4–30 cm, glabrous or minutely papillose-scabridulous.

ocrea 4–8 mm, proximal part cylindric, distal part soon disintegrating into curly or straight fibers;

petiole 0–1.5 mm;

blade bluish green, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 15–50 × 2–8 mm, margins flat, apex acute;

stem leaves 2.1–4 times as long as branch leaves;

distal leaves abruptly reduced and not overtopping flowers (shorter than or equaling flowers).

uniformly distributed, articulated to ocreae, basal leaves persistent, distal leaves abruptly reduced to bracts;

ocrea 3–5 mm, papillose-scabridulous or glabrous, proximal part funnelform, distal part becoming lacerate with age;

petiole 0.1–2 mm;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, linear-oblanceolate, 10–20(–25) × 1–3(–4) mm, margins revolute, smooth, apex acute to mucronate.

axillary and terminal, spikelike;

cymes aggregated at tips of stems and branches, 4–6-flowered, bracts inconspicuous.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, loosely floriferous nearly to base, elongate;

cymes spaced along branches, (1–)2–4-flowered.

enclosed in ocreae, 1–2 mm.

exserted from ocreae, reflexed, 1–3 mm.

closed;

perianth 1.8–2.4 mm;

tube 10–22% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, green or white, usually with pink, rarely red or white, margins, petaloid, not keeled, oblong to obovate, cucullate;

midveins usually unbranched;

stamens 7–8.

closed;

perianth 1.5–2(–2.5) mm;

tube 18–26% of perianth length;

tepals initially overlapping and cucullate, later forced apart by developing achene, greenish or sometimes purple, with white margins, petaloid or sepaloid, oblong, ± flat or navicular, apex rounded;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 5–8.

enclosed in perianth, brown, ovate, 3-gonous, 1.3–2.3 mm, faces subequal, slightly concave, apex not beaked, with concave edges, shiny, smooth; late-season achenes unknown.

exserted from perianth, black, elliptic, 1.2–2.3 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.