Flora of North America species comparison

0.2–10 cm, 0.6–1.2 mm in diam.

to 90 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

arising singly or in loose tufts of 2–6(–12), 10–40(–60) cm, apically slightly scabrous.

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.

proximal 1–4 reduced to bladeless or nearly bladeless sheaths;

foliage leaves 1–2(–3) per culm;

ligules about as wide as long;

blades mostly 1–3 (proximal blade) or 5–13 (distal) cm × 0.5–1.6 mm.

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.

consisting of slender terminal cone of (1–)2–4 staminate flowers and (1–)2–6(–7) pistillate flowers, 3–10 (often 5–8) × 2–8 (immature fruit) or to 17 (mature fruit) 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.

light green, becoming straw colored or pale brown, lance-subulate to narrowly elongate-oblong, (5–)5.9–7.8 × 0.7–1.1 mm, long-tapering;

beak indistinct;

rachilla vestigial.

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

style base cylindric.

2–2.4 × 0.8–1 mm;

style exserted 0.2–1.3 mm beyond orifice of beak.

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

with prominent apiculus to 0.5 mm.

scales 3.7–5.9 mm, wider than and 2/3 length of perigynia.

scales closely appressed.

= ca. 74, 76.