Flora of North America species comparison

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

20–50 cm, smooth, glabrous.

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.

blades V-shaped in cross section when young, 1.5–2.8 mm wide, usually involute, proximally puberulent.

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.

proximal bracts sheathless or sheath not more than 2(–5) mm;

lateral spikes 10–20 × 5–9 mm, all in distal 1/2 of stem;

terminal spike 10–32 × 1.5–3 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.

20–30-veined, subsessile, ovoid to obovoid, 4–6 × 1.9–2.4 mm, pilose, hairs not more than 0.2 mm;

beak distinct or obscure, to 0.5 mm.

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

sessile, 3–3.5 × 1.9–2 mm, almost filling bodies of perigynia.

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 3–5-veined, ovate, 2.8–5 × 1.6–2.2 mm, proximal ones shorter than perigynia, apex acute.

1.5–2.5 mm.

scales 3-veined, 4.5–5.5 × 1.6–2.2 mm.