Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, green, simple or with few branches, not wiry, 1.5–3.5 cm, 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 2–3.5 mm, papillose-scabridulous, proximal part funnelform, distal part hyaline, lacerate;

petiole absent;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, linear-subulate, 6–14 × 1 mm, coriaceous, margins revolute, touching along midrib, apex acute, mucronate, papillose.

axillary and terminal, spikelike;

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

axillary and terminal, spikelike, dense;

cymes overlapping, starting almost from stem base, 2–4-flowered.

enclosed in ocreae, 1–2 mm.

enclosed in ocreae, erect to spreading, 0.4–1 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.

open;

perianth 2–2.5 mm;

tube 20–25% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, uniformly white, petaloid, oblong to widely obovate, cucullate, navicular in distal 1/4, apex rounded;

midveins branched;

stamens 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.

enclosed in perianth, black, elliptic, 1.5–2 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.