Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green, simple or divaricately branched, ± wiry, 4–40 cm, papillose-scabridulous.

erect, green, simple or divaricately branched, ± wiry, 2–20 cm, minutely papillose-scabridulous.

uniformly distributed, not articulated to ocreae, basal leaves usually caducous, distal leaves abruptly reduced to bracts;

ocrea 5–10 mm, glabrous or papillose-scabridulous, proximal part cylindric, distal part white or tawny, disintegrating into ± bristly-fringed fibers;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear, 5–25(–30) × 0.5–2 mm, margins revolute, papillose-denticulate or smooth, apex mucronate or weakly spine-tipped.

crowded at branch tips, not articulated to ocreae, basal leaves caducous or persistent, distal leaves abruptly reduced to bracts;

ocrea 8–13 mm, papillose-scabridulous, proximal part cylindric, distal part overlapping and obscuring leaves and flowers, silvery, entire or shallowly dentate;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear, 5–15(–20) × 0.5–1.5(–2) mm, margins revolute, papillose-denticulate, apex spine-tipped.

axillary;

cymes in distal axils, 1-flowered.

axillary;

cymes in distal axils, 1-flowered.

absent.

absent.

open or closed;

perianth 2.5–3.5 mm;

tube 10–20% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, uniformly white to pink, petaloid, elliptic, navicular, apex acute to acuminate;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

closed;

perianth 2–3 mm;

tube 10–18% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, pink with pink or white margins, petaloid, elliptic, navicular, apex acute to acuminate;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

enclosed in or slightly exserted from perianth, brown, narrowly elliptic, 1.8–2.2 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.

enclosed in perianth at maturity, light brown to brown, ovate-elliptic, 1.8–2.3 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.