Flora of North America species comparison

erect from sheath, mostly shorter than scape, 2.2–11.5 cm;

sheath 0.7–2.5 cm × 1–1.8 mm, ligule occasionally hoodlike, apically 2-lobed;

blade 0.9–1.4 mm wide, apex obtuse to round.

basal, emersed, sessile;

sheath persisting longer than blade, not leaving circular scar when shed, ligulate, auriculate with scarious lobes;

blade linear;

intravaginal squamules scales, more than 2.

scape often purple near base, mostly exceeding leaves, 1–16.5 cm × 0.5–1 mm;

racemes 6–45 cm × 1.5–7 mm;

pedicel 1–4 × 0.2–0.3 mm.

terminal or axillary, scapose spikes, spikelike racemes, rarely solitary flowers, without spathe, pedunculate;

peduncle following fertilization not elongating, not spiraling.

tepals elliptic, 1.3–1.7 × 0.6–1.4 mm, apex acute;

pistils 6, all fertile.

bisexual or unisexual, staminate and pistillate on same plant; subtending bracts absent;

perianth present, rarely absent;

tepals 1, or 6 in 1–2 series.

fruiting receptacle without wings;

schizocarps linear to near globose, 2–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm;

mericarps linear to linear-obovate, weakly ridged, 1.5–3.5 × 0.7–1 mm, beak erect to recurved, 0.2 mm.

nutlets or schizocarps.

1;

embryo straight.

and staminate flowers: stamens 1, 4, or 6, epitepalous, when 4 or 6, then in 2–3 series;

anthers distinct, dehiscing longitudinally;

pollen globose.

and bisexual flowers: pistils 1, 3, or 6, not stipitate, when 3 or 6, coherent or weakly connate;

ovules basal, anatropous.

= 12, 24, 36, 48, 120.