Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green-brown, simple or branched from base, not wiry, 2–5(–8) cm, glabrous.

erect, green or brown-ish, simple or branched from below middle, not wiry, 5–50 cm, glabrous or papillose-scabridulous.

± uniformly distributed, dense, not articulated to ocreae, basal leaves ± persistent, distal leaves gradually reduced to bracts;

ocrea 2–4(–5) mm, glabrous, proximal part cylindric, distal part deeply lacerate, disintegrating into white, curled fibers;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear-lanceolate, subulate, 5–13(–20) × 0.4–1 mm, margins revolute, smooth, apex spine-tipped.

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

ocrea 6–15 mm, glabrous or papillose-scabridulous, proximal part cylindric, distal part soon disintegrating into a few brown fibers;

petiole 0.1–1 mm;

blade 1-veined, with 1 pleat on each side of midrib, narrowly lanceolate to linear, 25–40 × 1–8 mm, margins usually flat, papillose-denticulate, apex mucronate or cuspidate.

axillary;

cymes in most axils, 1-flowered.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, slender, elongate;

cymes spaced along branches, 1–2(–3)-flowered.

absent.

enclosed in ocreae, erect, 1–1.5 mm.

closed;

perianth 1.5–2(–2.5) mm;

tube 6–15% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, usually reddish with white margins, petaloid, oblong, navicular, apex acute;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

closed;

perianth 2.5–4.2 mm;

tube 15–22% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, green, often brownish when dried, with pink or white margins, petaloid or sepaloid, elliptic, cucullate, navicular, apex rounded;

midveins usually unbranched, rarely branched;

stamens 8.

slightly exserted from perianth at maturity, dark brown, ovate, 1.2–1.6(–2) mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.

enclosed in or slightly exserted from perianth, black, elliptic to oblong, 2.3–4 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth or minutely striate-tubercled near edges and apex.

= 20.