Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green to brownish, simple or branched from base, not wiry, 4–50 cm, glabrous or papillose-scabrid-ulous.

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 persistent or caducous, distal leaves abruptly or gradually reduced to bracts;

ocrea 4–10 mm, glabrous or papillose-scabridulous, proximal part cylindric, distal part lacerate or disintegrating into a few persistent fibers;

petiole 0.1–2 mm;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, linear or narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, 8–45 × 2–8(–12) mm, margins revolute or flat, smooth or papillose-denticulate, apex acute, mucronate, rarely obtuse.

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 or axillary and terminal, spikelike, elongate;

cymes widely spaced along branches, 2–4-flowered.

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

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

enclosed in or exserted from ocreae, erect, 1–4 mm.

exserted from ocreae, reflexed, 1–3 mm.

closed or at least some open;

perianth (2.5–)4 mm;

tube 20–40% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, greenish or reddish, sometimes flushed with purple, with white or pink margins, sepaloid or petaloid, oblong or oblong-elliptic, cucullate, navicular, apex rounded;

midveins unbranched or with few branches at base;

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, black, elliptic or ovate, 2.5–3.3 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.

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