Flora of North America species comparison

20–90 cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous with few leaves clustered at apex.

(9–)16–60 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.

sheath adaxially white-hyaline, summits usually U-shaped, rarely prolonged to 3 mm beyond collar;

distal ligules 0.5–2.5(–3) mm;

blades 2–6 per fertile culm, (4–)8–18 cm × (1.7–)2–3.6(–4) 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.

stiffly erect, dense, brown or dark brown, 0.9–2.1 cm × 10–15(–18.5) mm;

proximal internode 1.5–3.7(–4.8) mm; 2d internode 1–3 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike or bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences.

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

(3–)5–9, densely aggregated, ± individually indistinct, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 5.5–10.5 × 4–7 mm, base rounded to acute or tapered, apex truncate to tapered.

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 ascending-spreading, straw colored, gold, red-brown, or coppery, conspicuously 0–7(–11)-veined abaxially, conspicuously 0–3-veined adaxially, narrowly to broadly ovate, plano-convex to biconvex, occasionally ± flat around achene, 3.5–4.5 × (1.1–)1.3–2 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.5 mm wide, darker than perigynium body, ciliate-serrulate at least on distal body, pithlike tissue usually present in proximal perigynium walls in U-shape around achene, glossy metallic sheen;

beak white, golden brown, red-brown, brown, or dark brown, usually white-hyaline at tip, cylindric, unwinged, ± entire for (0.4–)0.5–0.6(–0.9) mm, abaxial suture usually white, conspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene (1.2–)1.6–2.4 mm.

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

usually elliptic, (1.2–)1.4–1.9 × 0.85–1.1 mm, 0.35–0.5 mm thick.

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 gold to brown, often reddish, sometimes with whitish or gold midstripe, ovate to broadly ovate, 2.7–3.5(–4) mm, shorter or longer and usually narrower than perigynia, margin, white-hyaline usually conspicuous, 0.03–0.25 mm wide, apex usually obtuse.

= 68, 70.

= 86.