Flora of North America species comparison

to 90 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

densely tufted, central, erect or ascending, 28–44 cm × 1.4–1.8 mm.

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 purple or slightly purple;

sheaths 2–24 mm;

blades erect or ascending, green or yellow-green, midrib developed adaxially, 2 lateral veins developed abaxially, flat, 12–28 cm × 3.5–12 mm, overwintering dead leaves lateral to new clumps, smooth adaxially.

1.4–12.4 cm × 1–6 mm, angles of bract sheath smooth or minutely papillose, bract blade of distal lateral spikes linear.

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.

peduncles of lateral spikes 0–6.4 cm; of terminal spike 0.2–2.6 cm.

4(–5) per culm;

lateral spikes (15–)19–33 × 3.4–4 mm;

internodes in proximalmost spikes 3.3–14 mm;

terminal spike linear, 6–25 × 2–3 mm.

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.

6–18 per spike, separate or loosely overlapping, finely, conspicuously (22–)25–32-veined, broadly obovate, 2.2–3.3 × 1.2–1.6 mm;

beak curved, 0.1–0.3 mm.

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

style base cylindric.

ovoid, 2–2.8 × 1–1.4 mm.

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

with prominent apiculus to 0.5 mm.

2.4–2.8 mm.

scales 2.8–3 × 2–2.4 mm, apex apiculate or aristate.

scales oblong ovate, 3.5–4.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, margins hyaline or brownish, apex obtuse or acute.