Flora of North America species comparison

30–140 cm.

30–100 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 papillose, summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 3.5–5 mm;

blades 4–5 per fertile culm, green, without auricles, 17–37 cm × 2–5 mm, pliable.

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.

arching or nodding from proximal spike, open at least proximally, silvery greenish yellow, 2.5–6.5 cm × 7–17 mm;

proximal internode 7–18 mm; 2d internode 3–10 mm; often aristate or long-aristate;

proximal bracts scalelike.

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

(3–)7–15, widely spaced except the distal densely aggregated, proximal 1 often stalked, nearly globose or ovoid, 6–17 × 4.5–7 mm, base clavate or attenuate, apex rounded.

± 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.

ascending to spreading, uniformly pale green to straw colored, conspicuously, evenly (4–)5–8(–10)-veined on each face, ovate to obovate, plano-convex, 3–4.5 × 1.9–2.3 mm, 0.6 mm thick, usually widest at 2/5–1/2 total length, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.6 mm wide, finely granular-papillose;

beak whitish at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate to within 0.3 mm of tip, abaxial suture inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.2–2 mm.

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

oblong-ovate, 1.5–1.75 × 1–1.2 mm, 1.4–1.6 times as long as wide, 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 silvery pale green with pale or green midstripe, lance-subulate, (3.2–)3.5–4.1(–4.6) mm, shorter and narrower than or equaling perigynia, margin white-hyaline, to 0.6 mm wide, apex acute.

= 74.

= 80.