Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, green or reddish, simple or branched near base, not wiry, 1.5–5 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, dense, not articulated to ocreae, basal leaves persistent or caducous, distal leaves gradually reduced to bracts;

ocrea 3–6 mm, glabrous, proximal part cylindric, distal part disintegrating almost to base, with whitish, straight, rigid fibers;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear to lanceolate, 10–20 × 0.6–2.7 mm, margins revolute, smooth, apex spine-tipped.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, elongate;

cymes spaced along branches, 2–5-flowered.

axillary;

cymes in most axils, 2–3-flowered.

exserted from ocreae, reflexed, 0.5–1 mm.

enclosed in ocreae, erect, 0.1–1 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.

closed;

perianth 2.3–2.7 mm;

tube 3–7% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, whitish with whitish or pink margins, petaloid, oblong, navicular, dimorphic, outer 2 shorter than inner 3, outer 2 0.8–1.2 mm, inner 2.3–2.7 mm, papillose at base, apex acute or acuminate;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 5–6.

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

enclosed in perianth, olive brown, narrowly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.