Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green, usually divaricately branched, rarely simple, ± wiry, (2–)6–20(–25) cm, glabrous.

ascending to erect, green to purplish, much-branched from base, not wiry, 5–10(–20) cm, papillose-scabridulous.

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

ocrea 4–8 mm, glabrous, proximal part cylindric, distal part silvery, with inconspicuous veins, lacerate;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, lateral veins sometimes inconspicuous, without pleats, narrowly linear, 10–40 × 1–2.5 mm, margins ± revolute, smooth, apex acute or mucronate.

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

ocrea 3–5 mm, papillose-scabridulous or glabrous, proximal part funnelform, distal part lacerate;

petiole 0.1–2 mm;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, ovate to elliptic or obovate, 5–15 × 4–7 mm, margins flat or narrowly revolute, papillose-denticulate, apex acute or mucronate.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

cymes in most axils or crowded distally, 1–3-flowered.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, slender;

cymes spaced along branches, 1–4-flowered.

enclosed in ocreae, erect, 0.1–2 mm, sometimes absent.

exserted from ocreae, reflexed, 1–2.5 mm.

mostly closed;

perianth 1.5–3 mm;

tube 19–40% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, uniformly white, pink, or red, petaloid, oblong-lanceolate, ± navicular, apex acute to acuminate;

midveins usually unbranched or with 2 lateral branches proximally, moderately to strongly thickened, tepals appearing ± keeled;

stamens 3–8.

closed;

perianth (1.8–)2–2.6 mm;

tube 20–28% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, green or purple, with narrow whitish margins, petaloid or sepaloid, oblong, cucullate, navicular, apex rounded;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

enclosed in perianth, light yellow, light brown, or greenish brown to dark brown, ovate to lanceolate, 1.3–2.5 mm, faces subequal, shiny or dull, smooth or reticulate with longitudinal ridges.

enclosed in perianth, black, elliptic to obovate, 2–2.5 mm, faces subequal, shiny, ± smooth.