Flora of North America species comparison

spreading to erect, sometimes zigzagged, purplish, simple or branched, wiry, (5–)10–35 cm, papillose-scabridulous.

prostrate to ascending, branched at proximal and middle nodes, not wiry, 20–100 cm.

evenly distributed or crowded at branch tips, articulated to ocreae, basal leaves persistent, distal leaves gradually reduced to bracts;

ocrea 3–4 mm, papillose-scabridulous, proximal part funnelform, distal part finely lacerate;

petiole 0.1–2 mm;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, linear to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 8–30 × 1–4(–7) mm, margins narrowly revolute, never touching along midrib, smooth, apex acute, mucronate, ± glaucous adaxially.

ocrea 6.5–12 mm, proximal part cylindric, pruinose, distal part hyaline, soon disintegrating into brown fibers or nearly completely deciduous;

petiole 0–1 mm;

blade green to bluish green, elliptic-lanceolate to linear, 10–35 × 1.5–15 mm, margins flat or narrowly revolute, apex acute;

middle stem leaves slightly larger than adjacent branch leaves, distal leaves overtopping flowers.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, dense;

cymes mostly congested toward tips of branches, 2–3-flowered.

axillary, cymes uniformly distributed, 2–7-flowered.

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

exserted from ocreae, 2.5–5(–7) mm.

semi-open or closed;

perianth 1.8–2.4 mm;

tube 25–33% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, greenish, white, or pink with pink margins, petaloid, oblong, cucullate, navicular in distal 1/4, apex rounded;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

semi-open;

perianth 3.5–5.5 mm;

tube 28–39% of perianth length;

tepals slightly overlapping, green, margins white to pink, petaloid, not keeled, oblong to obovate, not cucullate;

veins branched;

stamens 8.

enclosed in perianth, black, elliptic to ovate, 1.8–2.3 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.

exserted from perianth, pale brown to dark brown, ovate, 3-gonous, (3.5–)4.1–5.5(–6.5) mm, faces subequal, apex not beaked, edges straight, shiny, smooth or with fine tubercles especially toward apex; late-season achenes unknown.