Flora of North America species comparison

20–90 cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous with few leaves clustered at apex.

(1–)2–90 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 adaxially whitish, conspicuously red dotted, truncate or convex at mouth, prolonged 0.4–4(–6) mm beyond base of blade;

ligules 8–57 mm;

foliage leaf blades 14–30(–47) cm × 1–2.5 mm.

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.

bisexual, straight, little interrupted, ± compound (short branch at least on most proximal node or, occasionally, unbranched) , 2–5(–6) × 0.6–1.4(–1.7) cm, proximal 0–3 branches slightly overlapping 1 above;

basal branch (when present) with 2–12 spikes;

proximal internode 3–7(–10) mm.

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

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.

± spreading, olive to dark chestnut brown, stongly 4–6-veined and finely 2–4-veined abaxially, with narrow median strip extending full length (grooved aspect emphasized by pair of bordering veins), often membranous flap toward apex, narrowly deltoid-ovoid, unequally biconvex, (2–)2.3–2.5(–2.9) × 1–1.4 mm, shiny;

beak 0.9–1.1 mm.

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

broadly compressed-ovoid, 1.4–1.7 × 0.7–1 mm.

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 straw colored or brownish, 1.5–2.7 × 0.9–1.6 mm, as wide as perigynia at base, narrower distally.

= 68, 70.

= 48, 50, 54, 60.