Flora of North America species comparison

compact.

erect or ascending, 10–30 cm;

sheaths glossy light brown or red-brown, firm;

blade green, linear to filiform, often angularly terete, or sulcate, rarely to 1mm wide.

erect or ascending, 4–15 cm;

sheaths glossy brown or red-brown, chaffy;

blade green, filiform or narrowly linear, twisted, to 1 mm wide, smooth.

scape sheaths exceeded by leaves;

scapes linear, straight or flexuous, terete, 1 mm wide, rarely 1-ribbed;

spikes ovoid to ellipsoid, 4–7 mm, apex acute;

fertile bracts 4–5 mm, margins entire or erose, apex rounded.

scape sheaths exceeded by leaves;

scapes linear, nearly terete, 0.5(–0.7) mm wide, smooth, not ribbed;

spikes ellipsoid to obovoid, 5–7(–10) mm;

fertile bracts ca. 4.5 mm, margins nearly entire, apex rounded.

lateral sepals included, reddish brown, slightly curved, less than 5 mm, keel scarious, lacerate from middle to tip;

petals unfolding in morning, blade obovate, to 5 mm;

staminodes beardless.

lateral sepals included, reddish brown, linear-curvate, 4 mm, keel firm, ciliate;

petals unfolding in morning, blade obovate, 4 mm;

staminodes bearded.

translucent, fusiform to cylindric, (0.7–)0.8–1 mm, finely lined longitudinally.

translucent, ellipsoid, 0.5 mm, distinctly longitudinally ribbed, with fainter transverse lines.

= 18.

= 18.