Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, green or purplish brown, branched from base, not wiry, 4–30 cm, glabrous or 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.

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

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

petiole 0.1–2 mm;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, linear-oblanceolate, 10–20(–25) × 1–3(–4) mm, margins revolute, smooth, apex acute to mucronate.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

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

axillary and terminal, spikelike, loosely floriferous nearly to base, elongate;

cymes spaced along branches, (1–)2–4-flowered.

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

exserted from ocreae, reflexed, 1–3 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 1.5–2(–2.5) mm;

tube 18–26% of perianth length;

tepals initially overlapping and cucullate, later forced apart by developing achene, greenish or sometimes purple, with white margins, petaloid or sepaloid, oblong, ± flat or navicular, apex rounded;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 5–8.

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.

exserted from perianth, black, elliptic, 1.2–2.3 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.