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.

ascending in narrow fans, (19–)30–50(–60) cm;

sheaths pinkish or pale red, soft, smooth;

blade pale green proximally, distally deep lustrous green, linear, flattened, plane, 5–15 mm wide, margins 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, straight, distally slightly compressed, 1–2 mm wide, smooth, 2-ribbed;

spikes ovoid to ellipsoid or cylindric, 10–20(–25) mm, apex usually blunt;

fertile bracts 5–8 mm, margins 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 slightly to conspicuously exserted, slightly curved, 6–8 mm, keel scarious, apex not red, broad, thin, lacerate;

petals unfolding in afternoon, blade obovate, 5–6 mm;

staminodes bearded.

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

translucent, narrowly ellipsoid to ovoid, (0.6–)0.7(–0.8 mm), irregularly ridged and cross-ridged.

= 18.

= 18.