Flora of North America species comparison

erect from sheath, shorter than scapes, 6–24.5 cm;

sheath 3.5–5 cm × 1.5–5 mm, ligule not hoodlike, unlobed;

blade 0.8–2.9 mm wide, apex acute.

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, 5.5–27.2 cm × 1–2.1 mm;

racemes 5.1–21.4 cm × 2–5 mm;

pedicel 0.4–4.5 × 0.1–0.5 mm.

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

peduncle following fertilization not elongating, not spiraling.

tepals elliptic, 1.1–1.6 × 0.7–0.9 mm, apex round;

pistils 6, 3 fertile, 3 sterile.

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 receptacles with wings;

schizocarps linear, 7–8.3 × 0.8–1.2 mm;

mericarps linear, weakly ridged abaxially, 6.5–8.5 × 0.5–1.5 mm, beak erect, 0.3 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.

= 24.