Flora of North America species comparison

(35–)40–110 cm;

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

sharply trigonous in cross section, (15–)25–95(–110) cm, scabrous-angled distally.

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.

basal sheaths reddish purple;

ligules as wide to slightly longer than wide;

blades dark green, flat to W-shaped, widest leaves (4–)4.5–11.5(–13) mm wide, glabrous.

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.

2.7–18 cm;

proximal bract 9–45 cm, exceeding inflorescence;

proximal 1–3(–4) spikes pistillate, erect or the proximal often spreading, (12–)15–22 mm thick, if spikes less than 15 mm thick, then usually less than 2.5 times as long as wide;

terminal 1 spike staminate.

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.

spreading, strongly 7–12-veined, veins separate nearly to beak apex, broadly ovate, (6–)6.5–10.8 × (1.8–)2–3.5(–4.2), apex contracted;

beak 2.5–5.9 mm, 0.7–0.9 length of body, bidentate, smooth, teeth straight, to 0.2–0.8 mm.

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

yellow to brown, trigonous, papillose.

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 narrowly oblong, 3.4–11.2 × 0.5–1.1 mm, as long as or shorter than perigynia, margins often ciliate, apex truncate to retuse, erose, prolonged to scabrous awn.

(2.4–)2.8–4.2 mm.

scales obtuse.

scales with distinct, scabrous awn, sometimes ciliate-margined.

3.

= 76, 78.