Flora of North America species comparison

2–3 mm thick.

(35–)40–110 cm;

vegetative culms few, inconspicuous, with 6–8 leaves, not strikingly 3-ranked.

15–22(–30) cm, 2.5–3 mm thick at base.

sheaths adaxially white-hyaline, summits concave or truncate, prolonged beyond collar to 2.5 mm, papillose at least near apex;

distal ligules 1–5 mm;

blades 3–4 per fertile culm, 2.5–25 cm × 2–5 mm, usually adaxially papillose.

sheaths 2–3 cm, fronts often mottled dark brown;

blades flattened laterally, with 5–8 conspicuous air cavities, median groove inconspicuous, elliptic in cross section, 10–20(–25) cm × 0.6–1.2 mm.

open, pale brown, 0.24–0.62 cm × 8–15 mm;

proximal internode 5–17 mm; 2d internode 3–10 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

1.4–2.5 cm × 7–12 mm, staminate portion 2–10 mm.

3–6(–8), distant, distinct, ovoid to clavate, 7–21 × 5.5–12 mm, base rounded to long tapered, apex rounded.

15–80 in larger spikes, ascending or ascending-spreading, green to pale whitish green with reddish brown margin, conspicuously 8–12-veined abaxially, 4–8-veined adaxially, broadly elliptic to nearly orbiculate, (4.5–)5.1–6.7(–7.1) × (2.4–)2.8–4.2 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, membranaceous with brown achene visible through hyaline adaxial face, margin flat, including wing 0.8–1.2 mm wide, often erose, scalloped, or with an irregular tooth, smooth;

beak pale brown at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 2.4–3.7 mm.

angles veined, shortly 3–10-veined on faces, sessile, broadly elliptic, 5–7 × 3–4.8 mm, base rounded, apex rounded;

beak entire;

rachilla longer than fruit.

elliptic to oblong, 1.6–2.2 × 1.1–1.6 mm, 0.5 mm thick.

stalked to 0.15 mm.

scales reddish brown with green midstripe, lance-ovate to ovate, 3.1–5.4 mm, 1.9–3.2 times as long as wide, (1–)1.4–2.3 mm shorter than perigynia, narrower than perignyia, apex obtuse to acute.

scales white medially, 3–5-veined, shorter and narrower than perigynia, leathery, apex acute to acuminate;

proximal scales sometimes awned to 4 mm.

(2.4–)2.8–4.2 mm.

2–3 mm.

scales obtuse.

1–2 mm.

= 76, 78.