Flora of North America species comparison

glandular and/or glandular-pubescent.

leafless, or with 1–3 leaves towards base, 10–80 cm, variously glandular-hairy or only glandular below inflorescence, glands uniformly 4–6 times longer than wide.

mostly basal with 0–3 towards stem base, 2-ranked, equitant;

blade linear.

blades to 50 cm × 8 mm.

terminal, racemose, open or dense and spikelike, elongating in fruit, bracteate, bracteolate;

bracteoles connate in epicalyx.

forming globose or cylindric-ovoid, spikelike heads, 3–45-flowered, sometimes interrupted or open, 1–8 cm, glandular-pubescent;

bracts subtending pedicel in cluster;

bracteoles shallowly and symmetrically 3-lobed to cleft from proximal 1/3 to base, lobes rounded to acute, often markedly unequal.

borne in clusters of 2–7;

tepals persistent, 6, in 2 somewhat dissimiliar series, distinct;

stamens 6;

filaments strongly flattened, dilated basally;

anthers basifixed, 2-locular, introrse, without appendages;

ovary superior, stipitate, apocarpous basally, glabrous;

intercarpellary nectary present;

styles 3.

usually borne in clusters of 3, proximal sometimes remote;

perianth white or yellowish;

tepals 3–7 mm, inner series somewhat longer and narrower;

stamens 3–6 mm;

ovary ellipsoid, tapering gradually to style base;

styles distinct, 0.6–3 mm;

pedicel 1–12 mm.

capsular, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid or cylindrical, glabrous, dehiscence septicidal, then adaxially loculicidal.

ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 4–9 mm, clearly longer than tepals and not enclosed by them, chartaceous, easily ruptured.

appendaged.

reddish brown, ca. 1 mm;

appendages 1 or 2 with one at each end, rarely absent;

coat white, inflated, reticulate.

= 15.