Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green, simple or branched, ± wiry, 15–60 cm, usually papillose-scabridulous.

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

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

ocrea 5–12 mm, glabrous or papillose-scabridulous, proximal part cylindric, distal part lacerate or disintegrating into fibers;

petiole 0.1–2 mm;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, linear to narrowly oblong or lanceolate, 15–70 × 2–8 mm, margins revolute, papillose-denticulate, apex acute or mucronate.

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.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, elongate;

cymes spaced along branches, 2–5-flowered.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, dense;

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

exserted from ocreae, reflexed, 0.5–1 mm.

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

open or semi-open;

perianth (3.5–)4–5 mm;

tube 9–17% of perianth length;

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

midveins unbranched or with short lateral branches;

stamens 8.

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.

enclosed in perianth, black, elliptic, 3.5–5 mm, faces subequal, shiny or dull, smooth or striate-tubercled.

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