scarious

Pedicels densely short hairy; fruit covered with stiffly scarious-processes and short hairs along ribs.

Petals almost free, broadly ovate, densely punctate, glabrous, margin hyaline, scarious, entire, apex long attenuate.

bracts present or absent, when present herbaceous, membranous, or scarious, persistent or caducous.

Outer leaves deep reddish brown when dry, not scarious; bracts elliptic to oblong, longer than pedicel.

tunic grayish white to yellowish brown or pale lilac-gray, membranous or scarious, usually entire.

Outer leaves whitish, scarious when dry; bracts ovate to ovate-oblong, shorter than pedicel.

outer tunic whitish black-brown to dirty black, membranous to scarious or subpapery, apex sometimes laciniate to fibrous.

inner ones usually slightly longer, margin scarious.

bracts immediately subtending calyx absent. Sepals 5, free, green, margin scarious.

Buds with several scarious, papery, or herbaceous scales.

tunic red-brown to yellowish brown, scarious, entire.

Sepals ovate or elliptic, ca. 2 mm, glabrous, margin scarious, apex obtuse.

tunic lilac-brown to brown-black, scarious.

Tepals 5, rarely 4, free, herbaceous, often with transparent scarious margins.

ocrea ca. 2 cm, glabrous or muricate, scarious when dry, clasping.

Stipules ovate-lanceolate, 2--4 mm, scarious, margin hyaline, apex acute.

Spathe 2- or 3-valved, sometimes reddish, scarious, apex acuminate.

anther appendage scarious, (2 or)3-toothed, lateral teeth usually larger than the central one.

Flowers small. Calyx campanulate, 5(or 15)-veined, scarious between veins, 5-toothed.

Plants annual. Stems diffuse, slender, rarely rooting at lower nodes, pilose or hirsute, Stipules 0. 5--1. 5 mm, slender, scarious.

Perianth segments lanceolate, 2. 5--3 mm, margin scarious, apex acute to mucronate.

each flower with 1 bract and 2 bracteoles, scarious.

bracts setiform, scarious, basal one ca. 2. 5 mm.

coronal scales round, scarious, with small round teeth at apex, 0. 5--1 mm.

teeth ovate, sinuses with a thickened fold, margin scarious, apex short spiny;

Basal leaves many, petiole sheaths broadly ovate, hispidulous, scarious-margined;

lemma apex acute to acuminate, sometimes scarious and incurved, rarely mucronate;

Basal leaves many, petiole sheaths ovate, scarious-margined;

Flowers often solitary, subtended by a scarious bract and enclosed at base by 2 short bracteoles;

tunic pale brown or yellowish brown, scarious, breaking up into fibers;

Spikelets dark-purple or grayish at base, whitish scarious above;

outer tunic chestnut brown or pale brown, scarious, finely subreticulate;

Female flowers: tepals ovate or ovate-elliptic, ca. 3 mm, margin scarious;

tunic black-brown, scarious;

ligule ca. 0. 5 mm, scarious-membranous, apex truncate;

ligules scarious, ca. 0. 2 mm, margin ciliate;

tepals oblong or obovate-oblong, 4. 5-5 mm, scarious, glabrous;