Flora of North America species comparison

20–90 cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous with few leaves clustered at apex.

erect to arching, slender, 15–90 cm.

sheaths white-hyaline or green-veined, sometimes papillose, summits U-shaped, not distally expanded;

distal ligules 2.2–6 mm;

blades 3–4 per fertile culm, 11–25 cm × 1.7–4.2 mm.

sheaths relatively tight, pale to mid brown abaxially, inner band thin and hyaline, often concave at summit;

ligules as long as wide;

blades green to yellowish green, flat, 10–25(–40) cm × 0.5–2 mm, shorter than culms.

mostly dense, brown, 1.1–3 cm × 5–14 mm;

proximal internode 1–4 mm; 2d internode 1.4–3.4 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

erect to somewhat nodding, 1.5–7 cm × 3–6 mm;

proximal bracts bristlelike-prolonged, shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

3–10, usually overlapping, ovoid to globose, 4–10 × 3–7 mm, base rounded or truncate, apex rounded.

5–10, gynecandrous, proximal ± separate, distal closely approximate, containing 5–10 perigynia, sessile, globose to short-oblong, 3–7 × 3–4 mm;

terminal spike staminate for less than 1/2 of length, scarcely clavate.

ascending to ascending-spreading, light to dark reddish brown, conspicuously 3+-veined abaxially, faintly or basally 1–3-veined adaxially, winged to base, ovate or elliptic, plano-convex, 2.5–3.8 × (1–)1.2–2 mm, 0.35–0.45 mm thick, 1.9–2.5 times as long as wide, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.5 mm wide, 1b ciliate-serrulate at least distally;

beak reddish brown at tip, flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with reddish brown-hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.2–2.2 mm.

appressed-ascending to loosely spreading at maturity, green or brown, often dark brown in age, lightly several-veined, elliptic-ovate, 2–2.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm, widest near middle, membranous;

beak shor, margin serrulate.

ovate or elliptic, 1–1.3 × 0.6–0.9 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick.

pale to mid brown, ovate-orbiculate, 1.25–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm, glossy.

scales reddish brown, usually with green or whitish to brown midstripe, lanceolate, 2.5–3.5 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex acuminate or acute.

scales white-hyaline with green, 3-veined center, often brown tinged, ovate, subequal to, not concealing perigynia, apex obtuse to acute.

= 68, 70.

= 56.