Flora of North America species comparison

1 mm thick.

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

7–15 cm, 2–2.5 mm thick at base.

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 to 1.5 cm, fronts uniformly colorless or pale brown;

blades with conspicuous median groove, flattened dorsiventrally, elliptic in cross section, 6–15(–18) cm × 0.3–0.6 mm, lacking conspicuous air cavities.

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.

0.7–1.5 cm × 6–8 mm, staminate portion less than 2 mm.

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.

veinless, sessile, elliptic, 3.5–5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, base rounded, apex acute;

beak erose;

rachilla longer than fruit.

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

stalked to 0.2 mm.

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 yellow-brown medially, 1-veined, equaling perigynia in length and width, apex acute, involute, appearing acuminate, awns absent.

1.5–2.5 mm.

1.5–2 mm.

1.5–2.5 mm.