Flora of North America species comparison

to 30 cm, bases soft.

10–30(–40) cm, bases hard, swollen.

spreading to ascending, ¼–1/3 length of scapes;

sheath borders tan, backs prominently ribbed, glabrous;

blades filiform, 0.5 mm wide, involute, margins ciliate-scabrid, surface glabrous.

¼–1/2 length of scapes;

sheaths brown to stramineous, abaxially glabrous or hirtellous;

blades spreading to erect, filiform, wiry, less than 1 mm wide, involute, margins and adaxial surface glabrous to hispidulous or scabrid.

solitary or more commonly in simple, open, rarely compact, involucrate anthelae;

scapes filiform (rarely with several spikelets sessile or subsessile at plant base), prominently ribbed, glabrous;

proximalmost involucral bract cuspidate or setaceous bladed, exceeding or exceeded by inflorescence.

terminal, mostly in compound, compact or diffuse, involucrate anthelae;

scapes ascending to erect, wiry, 1 mm thick, coarsely ribbed, ribs glabrous or hispidulous to scabrid;

proximal bladed involucral bract exceeding or exceeded by inflorescence.

red-brown, ovoid to lanceoloid, 3–5 mm;

fertile scales ovate, 1.5–2 mm, apex acute, glabrous or distally puberulent, keel prominent, short-excurrent.

red-brown to chestnut-brown, lanceoloid to cylindric, 4–6 mm, mostly longer than broad;

fertile scales ovate, curvate-keeled, 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, glabrous or papillose-puberulent, midrib excurrent as mucro or mucronula.

stamens (1–)2;

anthers oblong-elliptic, 0.5–0.7 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers linear, 1–2 mm.

yellowish to pale brown, trigonous-obovoid, 1 mm, faces rugose.

gray to yellow-brown or dark brown, trigonous-obovoid, 1–1.2(–1.5) mm, faces rugulose, papillate;

tubercle a globose button.

= 84.

= 60.