Flora of North America species comparison

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

5–25 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.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

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

mostly confined to tips of branches, globose to ovoid, 7–14 × 8–15 mm;

bracts ascending or appressed, oblong to broadly ovate or elliptic, 4–9 mm, ± rigid, margins flat, undulate, or sometimes revolute, white, scarious portion 0.5–1 mm wide;

midveins thin, lateral veins thickened and prominent adaxially.

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

perianth 2.5–3 mm;

tube 19–30% of perianth length;

tepals white or pink;

perianth tube and base of tepals often ± crisped or undulate;

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.

dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.3–2.1 mm, reticulate with longitudinal ridges, dull.