Flora of North America species comparison

spreading to erect, zigzagged, green, simple or branched from base, wiry, 5–12(–15) cm, glabrous.

prostrate to ascending, branching from base, not wiry, 15–40 cm.

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

ocrea 2–5 mm, glabrous, proximal part funnelform, distal part lacerate;

petiole essentially absent;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, oblanceolate to obovate, 5–20 × 2–5 mm, margins revolute, never touching along midrib, sparsely papillose-denticulate, apex rounded or apiculate.

ocrea 4–6 mm, proximal part funnelform, distal part silvery hyaline, soon disintegrating, leaving almost no fibrous remains;

petiole 2–5 mm;

blade often reddish tinged, elliptic to obovate or oblanceolate; 20–35 × 9–16 mm, margins flat, apex rounded;

stem leaves (1.3–)2–2.6(–3.5) times as long as branch leaves;

distal leaves overtopping flowers in distal part of inflorescence.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, dense;

cymes congested at tips of stems and branches, 3–5-flowered.

axillary;

cymes in most leaf axils, 1–4-flowered.

enclosed in ocreae, erect to spreading, 2–3 mm.

mostly exserted from ocreae, 2–4 mm.

open;

perianth 2–2.5 mm;

tube 12–25% of perianth length;

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

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

semi-open;

perianth 3–3.5(–4) mm;

tube 18–25% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, green, margins white or pink, petaloid, not keeled, broadly rounded, cucullate;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

enclosed in or exserted from perianth, black, ovate to ovate-oblong, 1.8–2.1 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.

exserted from perianth, brown, ovate, 3-gonous, 2.8–3.4(–4) mm, faces subequal or evidently unequal, apex not beaked, edges straight, shiny, minutely roughened; late-season achenes uncommon, 4.5–5 mm.

= 60.