Flora of North America species comparison

30–140 cm.

20–30 cm.

sheaths adaxially conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped region at collar, adaxially firm, sometimes papillose, summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 2.8–8 mm;

blades 3–7 per fertile culm, 11–50 cm × 2.5–6 mm.

sheaths white-hyaline, summits usually U-shaped;

distal ligules 1–2(–2.5) mm;

blades 3(–5) per fertile culm, 10–40 cm × 2.2–3.2 mm.

dense or open, pale green or brown, 2–6.5 cm × 7–20 mm;

proximal internode 3–13 mm; 2d internode 4–10 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

dense or sometimes open proximally, brown or purplish, 1.2–2(–2.5) cm × (8–)12–18 mm;

proximal internode 1.5–3.5 mm; 2d internode 0.5–2.5 mm;

proximal bracts bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences.

3–11, distant, distinct, ellipsoid to ovoid, 6–20 × 4–9 mm, base rounded or short-acute, apex broadly acute to obtuse.

4–5, densely aggregated, usually at least proximal 1 distinct, obovoid, 9–12 × (5.5–)7–9 mm, base rounded or attenuate, apex rounded or acute.

± spreading, light or golden brown, faintly 3–8-veined on each face, obovate, flat except over achene, 4–5.5 × 2.5–3.8 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.8–1.5 mm wide;

beak light brown at tip, flat, 0.85–2.2 mm, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with light brown margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.8–3 mm.

appressed to ascending, usually dark brown, often green or gold distally and at margins, veinless or conspicuously 3–6-veined abaxially, inconspicuously veined adaxially, broadly obovate to broadly ovate, flat except over achene, 4–5.5 × 2–2.7 mm, 0.25–0.4(–0.5) mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.4–0.6 mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least on distal body;

beak purplish or brown to red-brown, white-hyaline at tip, cylindric, unwinged, entire for 0.5–1.3 mm from tip, abaxial suture with conspicuous white margin, distance from beak tip to achene (1.9–)2.2–2.9 mm.

oblong, 1.7–2 × 0.9–1.1 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick.

obovate or ovate, 1.6–2.1 × 1–1.4 mm, 0.3–0.5 mm thick.

scales white-hyaline or tan, with green midstripe extending to tip, lanceolate, 2.8–3.5(–3.8) mm, shorter or longer and much narrower than perigynia, apex firm, acuminate or awned to 0.8 mm.

scales red- or purple-brown to dark brown, sometimes gold above the middle, sometimes with paler midstripe, ovate to broadly ovate, 4.3–5.6 mm, shorter than or equaling perigynium beaks, equaling or narrower than perigynia, margin white-hyaline, green, or gold 0.15–0.3 mm wide, apex usually acute.

long-persistent.

= 74.