Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, green, simple or divaricately branched, ± wiry, 2–20 cm, minutely 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.

crowded at branch tips, not articulated to ocreae, basal leaves caducous or persistent, distal leaves abruptly reduced to bracts;

ocrea 8–13 mm, papillose-scabridulous, proximal part cylindric, distal part overlapping and obscuring leaves and flowers, silvery, entire or shallowly dentate;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear, 5–15(–20) × 0.5–1.5(–2) mm, margins revolute, papillose-denticulate, apex spine-tipped.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

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

axillary;

cymes in distal axils, 1-flowered.

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

absent.

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 2–3 mm;

tube 10–18% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, pink with pink or white margins, petaloid, elliptic, navicular, apex acute to acuminate;

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 at maturity, light brown to brown, ovate-elliptic, 1.8–2.3 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.