Flora of North America species comparison

to 90 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

central, coarse, trigonous, 40–110 cm, smooth.

sheath fronts spotted red-brown, veinless, plane, apex truncate to convex, membranous;

ligule rounded, to 1 mm, free limb to 0.2 mm;

blades to 75 cm × 6 mm, shorter than flowering stem.

basal sheaths pale green to brownish or pale red tinged, base with marescent remains of previous year’s leaves;

longest ligules 2–10(–12) mm, less than 2 times longer than wide;

blades glaucous, flat to V-shaped, (4–)5.5–13 mm wide, glabrous.

loosely paniculate, 4–12 cm × 15–20 mm, with 10–20 branches proximal branches distinct; the proximal internode to 25 mm;

bracts scalelike, not conspicuous, the awn, when present, 15–50 mm.

15–50 cm;

proximal 2–4 spikes pistillate, ascending to arching;

distal spikes erect;

terminal 3–6 spikes staminate.

dark brown-black, 3–5-veined abaxially, 0–3-veined adaxially, body ovate to lanceolate, 3–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm, base rounded to cordate, conspicuous basal spongy tissue somewhat distending perigynium;

beak 1–1.5 mm.

ascending, obscurely 10–15-veined, veins somewhat impressed, narrowly ovoid, (4.5–)5.5–7.7 × 1.6–3 mm, glabrous;

beak obscure, 0.9–1.7 mm, bidentulate, teeth straight, 0.4–0.8 mm.

red-brown, ovate, 1.2–1.5 × 1–1.2 mm, glossy;

style base cylindric.

hyaline, red-brown or pale brown, margins colorless, broad, shining, apex acute or mucronate.

with prominent apiculus to 0.5 mm.

scales lanceolate to ovate, apex obtuse to acute, glabrous, awn 0.9–8.5 mm, scabrous.