Flora of North America species comparison

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

often slightly curved, weak, 2–10 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 pale to mid brown abaxially, loose, inner band white-hyaline, concave at summit;

ligules shorter than wide;

blades usually pale to gray-green, flat at base, involute distally, 1–5 cm × 0.5–1.5 mm, exceeding 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.

0.4–1 cm × 3–6 mm;

bracts inconspicuous, shorter than spikes.

1(–2), gynecandrous, closely approximate, containing 7–15 perigynia, obovoid or suborbicular, 4–7 × 4 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.

closely appressed, gray-brown to pale or mid brown, lightly or obscurely several-veined, ovate, 1.5–2 × 1.25 mm, widest near middle, subcoriaceous;

beak short, entire.

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

red-brown, obovate, 1.2 × 0.7–1 mm, dull to slightly 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 chestnut-brown with lighter center and very narrow hyaline margins, broadly ovate, subequal to perigynia, apex obtuse.

1.5–2.5 mm.

= 64.