Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect to ascending, sparingly branched in distal 1/2, not wiry, 25–60 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 6–12 mm, proximal part cylindric, distal part soon disintegrating into brown fibers, later leaving almost no fibrous remains;

petiole 0–2 mm;

blade light green, linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 8–35 × 2–8 mm, margins flat, apex acute or obtuse;

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

distal leaves sharply reduced, not overtopping flowers (shorter than or equaling flowers).

axillary and terminal, spikelike, dense;

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

axillary and terminal, spikelike;

cymes in distal nodes, 2–6-flowered.

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

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 2–3.5 mm;

tube 18–25% of perianth length;

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

midveins usually unbranched;

stamens 7–8.

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

enclosed in perianth, brown, ovate, 3-gonous, (1.6–)1.8–2.6(–3) mm, faces subequal or unequal, apex not beaked, edges concave, shiny, smooth or roughened; late-season achenes common, 4–6 mm.