Flora of North America species comparison

20–90 cm, 1.5–3 mm wide basally, 0.9–1.1 mm wide distally.

25–80 cm.

sheaths tight, green, fronts hyaline, yellowish and thickened at mouth;

ligules to 3 mm, as long as wide;

widest leaf blades 2.5–4.5 mm wide, sometimes papillose adaxially.

sheaths adaxially hyaline, often green-veined nearly to collar, summits U- or V-shaped or rounded, sometimes prolonged to 1.5 mm beyond collar;

distal ligules 1–4 mm;

blades 2–5 per fertile culm, 7–25 cm × 2–3.5 mm.

with (3–)5–10 spikes, 1.5–3.5 cm × 8–15 mm;

proximal internodes equaling or shorter than proximal spikes;

proximal bracts 1–5 cm;

spikes with 8–20 ascending or spreading perigynia.

stiffly erect, dense or open, greenish brown to gold, 2–4.5 cm × 12–20 mm;

proximal internode 2–15 mm; 2d internode 2.5–5 mm;

proximal bracts leaflike, much longer than inflorescence, or bristlelike.

5–8(–11), usually distinct, broadly ovoid, 8–11 × 5–8 mm, base and apex acute to rounded.

pale green, pale yellow, or pale brown, 9–15-veined abaxially, 3.5–5 × 2.2–3 mm, margins serrulate distally;

beak 0.8–1.2 mm, apical teeth 0.4–0.6 mm.

ascending to spreading, green, gold, or cream colored, conspicuously 7–11-veined abaxially, conspicuously 0(–2)-veined adaxially, ovate to broadly ovate, plano-convex to biconvex, 4–5 × 1.9–2.5 mm, 0.7–1.1 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.6 mm wide, often thickened;

beak gold at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture usually inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.7–2 mm.

suborbiculate, 1.9–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.

obovate to elliptic, 2.1–2.5 × 1.6–2 mm, 0.7–1 mm thick.

scales hyaline or brown with green, 3-veined center, ovate, (2.4–)3–4.3 × (1–)1.6–3 mm, body slightly shorter to longer than perigynium and as wide, apex awned to 1.5–3.5(–4) mm.

scales reddish brown, with paler center, ovate to broadly ovate, 4–5.5 mm, equaling, ± covering perigynia, hyaline margin absent or to 0.2 mm, apex acute to mucronate.

2.2–2.5 mm.

= 78.