Flora of North America species comparison

1–1.5 mm thick.

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

5–20 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 13 cm, fronts uniformly colorless or pale brown;

blades with inconspicuous median groove, not flattened, terete in cross section, 5–12 cm × 0.4–10 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.

0.7–2 cm × 4–6 mm, staminate portion to 5 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, stipitate, elliptic, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5 mm, tightly enclosing and distended by achene, base narrowly cuneate, apex acute;

beak erose;

rachilla shorter than fruit.

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

sessile.

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 width, usually shorter, apex obtuse or acute, not inrolled, awns absent.

1.5–2.5 mm.

1.5–2 mm.

1.5–2.5 mm.