Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

to 80 cm × 4 mm, scabrous.

sheaths pale brown abaxially, inner band thin, hyaline, sometimes slightly red tinged, concave at summit;

ligules slightly longer than wide;

blades pale green to gray-green flat, 10–20(–30) cm × (1.5–)2–4 mm, subequal to shorter than culms, not stiff.

sheaths all with blades, fronts smooth, red spotted, indistinctly linearly veined, apex hyaline, colorless, fragile, convex, entire;

ligules rounded, 5 mm, free limb to 0.5 mm;

blades dark green, not epistomic, to 60 cm × 7 mm.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

densely spicate, elongated, cylindric, with 8–12 branches, 2–4 × 1.5 cm;

proximal internode to 0.5 mm;

proximal bracts setaceous, apparent.

4–8, gynecandrous, proximal ± remote, distal spikes approximate, sometimes flexuous, containing (5–)10–20(–30) perigynia suborbicular to oblong, 3–12 × 3–5 mm;

terminal spike staminate for less than 1/2 of length, often clavate due to more conspicuous staminate part.

appressed-ascending, gray-green, becoming yellowish brown, obscurely many-veined, elliptic-ovate, 1.8–3 × 1.2–1.7 mm, widest near middle, membranous;

beak abaxial suture inconspicuous, small marginal teeth.

pale brown, coppery distally, faintly 3–5-veined or veinless abaxially, veinless adaxially, to 4 × 1.7 mm, base not distended proximally, rounded;

stipe to 0.2 mm;

beak to 2 mm, serrulate.

pale brown, oblong-obovate, 1.25–1.5 × 1–1.25 mm, dull to slightly glossy.

circular, 1.5 × 1.3 mm;

stalk to 0.15 mm;

persistent style base cylindric.

scales hyaline with green, 3-veined center when young, usually brownish tinged in age, broadly ovate, subequal to, not concealing perigynia, apex obtuse to acutish.

coppery with hyaline margins.

= 56.

= 68.