Rosulate annual or short-lived perennial, sometimes forming colonies.. Leaves broadly linear to ensiform, 2–10 cm. long, 2–6.5 mm. wide, flat, thin, fenestrate, subacute.. Scapes up to 30, usually strict, 8–35 cm. high, 0.5–1.0 mm. in diameter, 5-ribbed; sheaths a little shorter than the leaves, obliquely slit, the limb obtuse or splitting into 3–4 dry brownish teeth.. Capitulum globose, shiny black, greyish white or infrequently brownish grey, (3–)5–9 mm. wide; involucral bracts as wide as or shorter than the capitulum width, scarious, usually paler than the rest of the capitulum, sometimes yellowish, 1.6–2.2×1.0–1.6 mm., oblong to obovate, obtuse, glabrous, reflexed at maturity; floral bracts spathulate to angular-oblanceolate, 1.8–2.3×0.6–1.0 mm., dark grey, acute, acuminate or cuspidate, varying from ± glabrous to pilose with short spaced white hairs on the upper back; receptacle villous; flowers trimerous, 1.5–2.0 mm. long.. Male flowers: sepals black, connate into an infundibular spathe deeply split on one side, lobes free at the tips, glabrous or thinly white-hairy above, the upper margin often denticulate; petals reduced, included within the calyx, glands small or absent; anthers black.. Female flowers: sepals subequal, dark grey, variable, navicular, narrowly lanceolate-falcate to ovate, winged on the centre keel or at least slightly thickened there, narrowed to the base, acute to sharply acuminate, glabrous or thinly white-pilose upwards, two 1.2–1.6×0.2–0.8 mm., the third narrower and often not keeled, 1.0–1.5×0.2–0.6 mm.; petals unequal, linear with dark tips, glabrous or white-pilose at the tip, infrequently some longer hyaline hairs (up to 0.8 mm.) also on the upper blade, glands vestigial or absent, one petal 1.5–2.5×0.2–0.4 mm., the other two 1.3–1.8×0.2 mm.. Seeds ellipsoid, 0.4–0.6 mm. long, yellowish brown or infrequently reddish brown with transverse lines of minute white papillae.
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Fairly robust annuals or perennials up to 0.16 m tall, with many erect, black heads. Leaves broadly linear, acute, c. 30 x 5 mm, widening at base. Capitula globose, c. 5 mm in diam., shiny black, bearded with a few to many short stiff, white setae; peduncles firm, up to c. 0.16 m long; basal sheaths about as long as leaves, loose; involucral bracts c. 10, somewhat lighter in colour, reflexed with age; floral bracts ovate, acute; receptacle bearing fine, long, white hairs. Female flower, sepals 3, c. 2 mm long, the lateral half folded with a convex, acute keel, attenuated below, inner sepal reduced, flat; petals raised on a stipe, linear, widened and dark above, obtuse, exserted; ovary 3-lobed, sessile, style and stigmas typical. Male flower: typical, anthers black. Capsule 3-lobed; seeds pale yellow with transverse ribs somewhat fringed.
Annual or perennial herb, up to 160 mm tall. Leaves in basal rosettes, aerial. Anthers black. Plants solitary. Capitula dark, globose, ± 5 mm in diameter. White setae on bracts, sepals and petals. Flowers grey to black.
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