Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect to ascending, sparingly branched in distal 1/2, not wiry, 15–75 cm.

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.

ocrea 7–12 mm, proximal part cylindric, distal part usually persistent, with strong veins, margins entire or lacerate, silvery, later disintegrating into ± persistent brown fibers;

petiole 1–5 mm;

blade light green or yellowish, elliptic to obovate, 30–60(–80) × (8–)10–25 mm, margins flat, apex obtuse;

stem leaves 1.5–3.5(–4) times longer than branch leaves;

distal leaves overtopping flowers in distal part of inflorescence.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

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

axillary;

cymes in axils of most leaves and toward tips of stems and branchs, 1–5-flowered.

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

mostly exserted from ocreae, 3–7 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 2.8–3.8(–4.2) mm;

tube 20–37% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, green with yellowish, rarely whitish green, margins, sepaloid, not keeled, oblong to obovate, cucullate;

midveins branched, moderately to heavily thickened;

stamens 7–8.

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, brown to tan, ovate, 3-gonous, 2.3–3.5 mm, faces subequal, ± concave, apex not beaked, edges concave, dull, striate-tubercled; late-season achenes uncommon, 4–5 mm.