Flora of North America species comparison

(20–)30–100 cm, 1.5–3.5 mm wide basally, 0.7–1.2 mm wide distally.

erect to arching, slender, 15–90 cm.

sheaths usually loose, proximal green-and-white-striped and green-and-white-mottled, with conspicous transverse veins on back, fronts white to hyaline, sometimes red dotted and transversely rugose, yellow or brown and thickened at mouth;

ligules 1–4.5 mm, shorter than to as long as wide;

widest leaf blades 3.5–5 mm wide.

sheaths relatively tight, pale to mid brown abaxially, inner band thin and hyaline, often concave at summit;

ligules as long as wide;

blades green to yellowish green, flat, 10–25(–40) cm × 0.5–2 mm, shorter than culms.

with 5–10 spikes, (1.5–)2–5 cm × 8–13 mm;

proximal internodes shorter than to as long as proximal spikes;

proximal bracts to 3 cm;

spikes with 5–15 ascending to spreading perigynia.

erect to somewhat nodding, 1.5–7 cm × 3–6 mm;

proximal bracts bristlelike-prolonged, shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

5–10, gynecandrous, proximal ± separate, distal closely approximate, containing 5–10 perigynia, sessile, globose to short-oblong, 3–7 × 3–4 mm;

terminal spike staminate for less than 1/2 of length, scarcely clavate.

pale green to pale brown, veinless or weakly 2–5-veined abaxially, 3.4–4.6 × 1.9–2.8 mm, body somewhat spongy, thickened at base, margins serrulate distally;

beak 0.7–1.4 mm, apical teeth 0.3–1 mm.

appressed-ascending to loosely spreading at maturity, green or brown, often dark brown in age, lightly several-veined, elliptic-ovate, 2–2.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm, widest near middle, membranous;

beak shor, margin serrulate.

circular to elliptic-circular, 1.8–2.1 × 1.6–1.8 mm.

pale to mid brown, ovate-orbiculate, 1.25–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm, glossy.

scales hyaline or pale brown with green, 1–3-veined center, ovate, 2.2–3.5 × 1.2–1.8 mm, body 2/3 as long to almost length of perigynia, apex acuminate to short-awned.

scales white-hyaline with green, 3-veined center, often brown tinged, ovate, subequal to, not concealing perigynia, apex obtuse to acute.

1.5–2.5 mm.

= 56.