Flora of North America species comparison

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

often nodding, 20–90 cm, vegetative culms inconspicuous with few leaves clustered at apex.

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 hyaline, adaxially whitish mottled, summits U-shaped, shortly prolonged less than 2.8 mm beyond collar, smooth or sometimes papillose (at 30X);

distal ligules 1–2 mm;

blades 3–5 per fertile culm, 15–35 cm × 1.3–2.5(–3) 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.

often flexible and nodding, open, with elongate spikes, brown, (2–)2.5–5 cm × 7–10 mm;

proximal internode (4–)7–17(–20) mm; 2d internode (3–)6–10 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike or to 1(–4) cm;

rachis usually thin and wiry.

3–8, distant or loosely aggregated, ovoid to globose, 4–10 × 3.5–6 mm, base tapered or clavate, 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.

erect to ascending, brown, conspicuously 5–7-veined abaxially, veinless or faintly 3–7-veined adaxially, ovate to broadly ovate, plano-convex, 2.8–4(–4.5) × 1.4–1.9(–2) mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, 2–2.3 times as long as wide, margin flat, including wing 0.1–0.5 mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least distally;

beak spreading, appressed or ascending;

straw colored to reddish brown at tip, flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.3–2.7 mm.

suborbiculate, 1.9–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.

ovate, 1.3–1.7 × 0.85–1.1 mm, 0.5 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 white-hyaline or pale brown with green to brown midstripe not reaching scale tip, proximal scales ovate, 2.3–3.3 mm, shorter by 0–1.6 mm and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse on proximal scales, acute on distal.

2.2–2.5 mm.

= 52, 54, 56.