Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, color unknown, simple to profusely branched from near base, not wiry, 2–5 cm, glabrous.

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.

persistence and crowded at brance tips, not articulated to ocreae;

ocrea 4–6 mm, glabrous, proximal part cylindric, distal part silvery, disintegrating nearly to base into straight fibers;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear, 5–35 × 1–1.5 mm, margins revolute, smooth, apex acuminate.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

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

axillary;

cymes insertion unknown, 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 6–18 % of perianth length, tepals imbrication unknown, white with whitish or pink margins, petaloid, oblong, apex acute, mucronate;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8;

anthers orange-pink.

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, olive brown, ovate, 2–2.3 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.