Flora of North America species comparison

arching or erect, leafy-based, distally wandlike, terete, multiribbed.

stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed.

ascending to spreading, overtopped by scape;

blades linear, proximally flat, 2.5–5 mm wide, apex subulate, trigonous.

ascending, overtopped by inflorescence;

blades flat proximally, 3–10(–15) mm wide, apex attenuate, trigonous.

terminal, headlike clusters of spikelets, clusters dense, leafy-involucrate;

involucral bracts several, spreading to downcurved, longest 6–13 cm × 5–10 mm, mostly white to midbract, then green, abruptly narrowly linear.

terminal and axillary, narrow, clusters of corymbs, clusters dense, mostly broadly turbinate, 13–15 mm;

bracteal leaves mostly exceeding subtended compounds.

white, ovoid, 5–7 mm;

fertile scales boatshaped, sharply curved-keeled, 5 mm, apex acute.

brown, lanceoloid, 13–15 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales lanceolate, 10–13 mm, apex acuminate, midrib shortexcurrent.

perianth absent.

longer perianth bristles usually fully 2 times length of fruit body, antrorsely barbellate.

several per spikelet, 1.5–2 mm;

body yellowish to deep brown, tumidly lenticular, broadly obovoid to orbicular or oblate, 1.5 mm, widest at or toward midbody, margins flowing to tubercle;

surfaces with many fine rows of vertical shallow lattices, their contiguous ends making transverse rows of papillae;

tubercle crescent-based, depressed-triangular, 0.5 mm, apex acute.

1–2 per spikelet, 20–25 mm;

body pyriformobovoid, compressed, 5–6 × 2.6–3.6 mm;

tubercle attenuate, 2-grooved, (15–)18–20(–21) mm.

= 12.

= 18.