Flora of North America species comparison

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

to 100 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.

blades 5–20 mm wide.

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.

with 4–6 spikes;

peduncles of proximal spikes exserted more than 1 cm;

proximal bracts with blade (13–) 17–35(–55) mm, sheaths conspicuously expanded to mouth, 21–35(–42) mm, mouth with wide purple band, usually shallowly U-shaped, greater than 2 mm wide.

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, dark purple, veins indistinct, elliptic or ovate to broadly ovate, 4–5.3 × 1.7–2.5 mm, with flat margins more than 1/2 mature achene width, glabrous;

beak 1–2 mm, apex dark purple to blackish, glabrous, distance from beak tip to achene apex greater than 2 mm.

suborbiculate, 1.9–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.

obovoid, 1.5–2.2 × 0.85–1.2 mm.

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 glossy dark purple with narrow hyaline margins,often gold adaxially, usually ovate, apex obtuse to long-tapered (rarely ciliate-awned), glabrous.

2.2–2.5 mm.

(1.8–)2.4–4 mm.

spikes pistillate, purple to dark brown, pendent, (17–)19–30 × 6-9 mm.

spike staminate, ± erect or, occasionally, pendent, 9–19 × 4.5–9 mm.

scales dark reddish purple with pale midvein and narrow, scarious margins, ovate to elliptic, 3.2–4.1 × 1–2 mm, apex usually obtuse, occasionally short-awned.