Flora of North America species comparison

20–90 cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous with few leaves clustered at apex.

50–90 cm;

vegetative culms with numerous leaves spaced evenly along distal 1/2.

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 green-veined nearly to collar with V-shaped hyaline band extending 4–20 mm proximal to collar, somewhat loose, expanded near summit, ± wing-angled, adaxially firm, summits thin, U-shaped to rounded, sometimes shortly prolonged beyond collar;

distal ligules 4–9 mm;

blades 3–6 per fertile culm, 18–40 cm × 3–7 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.

nodding, open at least proximally, pale brown, 2.5–6 cm × 7–14 mm;

proximal internode 5–12(–18) mm; 2d internode 3–11 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, sometimes bristlelike to 3 cm.

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

8–15, proximal spikes well spearated, nearly globose, 9–12 × 6–8(–9) mm, base tapered, 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.

usually 15–30 per spike, ascending to reflexed, with divergent beak, pale brown; conspicuously (3–)5–8-veined abaxially, conspicuously 3–6-veined adaxially, lanceolate, flat to plano-convex, thin, 2.9–4.3 × 1.2–1.6 mm, 0.3 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2 mm wide;

beak sometimes red-brown at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, distance from beak tip to achene 1.6–2.4 mm.

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

ovate to oblong, 1.1–1.7 × 0.6–1 mm, 0.3 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 white to brown with brown or green midstripe not reaching tip, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 2–2.7 × 0.9–1.5 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse to nearly acute.

= 68, 70.

= 64.