Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, green, simple or with few branches, not wiry, 1.5–3.5 cm, 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 2–3.5 mm, papillose-scabridulous, proximal part funnelform, distal part hyaline, lacerate;

petiole absent;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, linear-subulate, 6–14 × 1 mm, coriaceous, margins revolute, touching along midrib, apex acute, mucronate, papillose.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

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

axillary and terminal, spikelike, dense;

cymes overlapping, starting almost from stem base, 2–4-flowered.

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

enclosed in ocreae, erect to spreading, 0.4–1 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.

open;

perianth 2–2.5 mm;

tube 20–25% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, uniformly white, petaloid, oblong to widely obovate, cucullate, navicular in distal 1/4, apex rounded;

midveins branched;

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, black, elliptic, 1.5–2 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.