Flora of North America species comparison

to 90 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

15–50 cm, pilose.

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.

sheaths pilose;

ligules longer than wide;

blades 1.5–3 mm wide, pilose.

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.

lateral spikes approximate or proximal distant, 6–12 × 4–7 mm;

terminal spike staminate or, rarely, gynecandrous with not more than 1/4 flowers pistillate, 8–16 × 2–4 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.

ascending, strongly 18–24-veined, ovate or obovate, 2.2–3.2 × 1.5–2.2 mm, glabrous;

beak 0.2–0.5(–1) mm.

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

style base cylindric.

2–2.5 × 1.5–1.9 mm.

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

with prominent apiculus to 0.5 mm.

1.9–2.4 mm.

scales ovate-circular, 2–3 × 1.6–2.5 mm, not more than 1.5 times as long as wide, shorter than perigynia, apex obtuse to acuminate.

scales ovate, 3.2–4.1 mm, apex acute or acuminate.