Flora of North America species comparison

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

40–110 cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous with 9–17 leaves mostly clustered near apex of culm.

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 abaxially green or with pale intervenal areas with scattered, horizontal green septa, adaxially hyaline band broad, smooth, summit concave to truncate, equaling to extending 2 mm beyond collar;

ligules 1.8–4.8 mm;

blades 4–6 per fertile culm, 2.5–35 cm × 1.8–4.2 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.

erect to slightly arching, compact to elongated, pale brown, 2.8–5.9 cm × 6–17 mm;

proximal internode 3.5–12(–17) mm; 2d internode 3–9(–13) mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, often with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

(3–)4–7(–11), distinct, ovoid, 9.5–20.5 × 6–9 mm, base rounded to tapered, apex 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.

15–80 on larger spikes, ascending, yellowish green to brown with paler margins, conspicuously 7–11-veined abaxially, faintly (0–)2–8-veined adaxially, wings with 1–4 veins, ovate, elliptic, or ± orbiculate, plano-convex, (4.5–)4.8–6.1(–6.3) × 2.5–3.8 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, herbaceous, opaque with achene not clearly visible through adaxial face of perigynium, base rounded, margin flat, including wing 0.5–1.3 mm, smooth;

beak yellowish green to pale brown, strongly flattened, (1.2–)1.5–2.1(–2.3) mm, serrulate-margined to apex, abaxial suture pale or copper-brown, distance from beak tip to achene (2–)2.3–3.3 mm.

suborbiculate, 1.9–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.

ovate to elliptic, 1.8–2.4 × 1.3–1.7 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, apiculum to 0.4–0.9 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 pale brown with narrow yellow-green to brown midstripe prominent to tip, lanceolate, (3.7–)4–5.2 mm, (2.6–)2.9–3.7(–4.2) times as long as wide, reaching base to middle of perigynium beak, shorter than perigynia by (0.4–)0.6–1.4(–1.6) mm, margin hyaline, apex firm and herbaceous, flat or inrolled, with subulate tip or awned.

2.2–2.5 mm.

(1.8–)2.2–3.6 mm.

scales acuminate.

= 60.