Flora of North America species comparison

(10–)20–85 cm.

(20–)30–100 cm, 1.5–3.5 mm wide basally, 0.7–1.2 mm wide distally.

2–8.5 mm wide, sparingly scabrous.

sheaths usually loose, proximal green-and-white-striped and green-and-white-mottled, with conspicous transverse veins on back, fronts white to hyaline, sometimes red dotted and transversely rugose, yellow or brown and thickened at mouth;

ligules 1–4.5 mm, shorter than to as long as wide;

widest leaf blades 3.5–5 mm wide.

with 5–10 spikes, (1.5–)2–5 cm × 8–13 mm;

proximal internodes shorter than to as long as proximal spikes;

proximal bracts to 3 cm;

spikes with 5–15 ascending to spreading perigynia.

4–6, erect;

lateral spikes pistillate with a few staminate flowers proximally and rarely also distally, narrowly elliptic, 11–4.5 × 5.5–11 mm;

terminal spike staminate, sometimes gynecandrous or abortive, 9–42 × 1.5–3.5 mm.

horizontal, 3.2–5.1(–5.6) × 1.3–2.5 mm, minutely pustulate;

beak 1.2–2.1 mm, smooth.

pale green to pale brown, veinless or weakly 2–5-veined abaxially, 3.4–4.6 × 1.9–2.8 mm, body somewhat spongy, thickened at base, margins serrulate distally;

beak 0.7–1.4 mm, apical teeth 0.3–1 mm.

trigonous-obovoid, sides strongly concave, 1.2–1.8(–2.1) × 0.9–1.3(–1.5) mm, less than 2 times as long as wide;

style deciduous, straight or sinuous.

circular to elliptic-circular, 1.8–2.1 × 1.6–1.8 mm.

scales with distinct body, 2.9–7(–11.8) × 0.4–0.9(–1.1) mm, body 1.5–2.5 mm, translucent, apex with long, scabrous awn to 1.4–4.5(–9) mm, exceeding perigynia.

scales hyaline or pale brown with green, 1–3-veined center, ovate, 2.2–3.5 × 1.2–1.8 mm, body 2/3 as long to almost length of perigynia, apex acuminate to short-awned.

scales ± tightly imbricate, lanceolate, narrowly ovate, or oblong-obovate, 3.3–9.3(–12.5) × 0.9–1.6 mm, apex acute to truncate-erose or retuse, sometimes with scabrous awn to 0.1–6.2(–9.2) mm.

1.5–2.5 mm.