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.

prostrate to ascending, brown, branched, gnarled, not wiry, 5–40 cm, glabrous.

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 caducous or persistent, distal leaves not reduced in size;

ocrea 3–5 mm, glabrous, proximal part cylindric, distal part membranous, deciduous with leaves;

petiole 0–0.5 mm;

blade 1-veined, without pleats, lanceolate to elliptic, 5–25 × 2–5 mm, coriaceous, margins revolute, smooth, apex acute.

axillary or axillary and terminal, spikelike, elongate;

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

axillary;

cymes in distal axils, 2–6-flowered.

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

enclosed in or slightly exserted from ocreae, erect, 2–4 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.

open or semi-open;

perianth 5–9 mm;

tube 7–15% of perianth length, tepals partially overlapping, uniformly pink or white, petaloid, ovate to ovate-round, apex rounded;

midveins with numerous branched lateral veins;

stamens 8.

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

enclosed in or slightly exserted from perianth, brown, narrowly ovate, 3–4 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.