Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

yellow-brown to dark brown at base, 2–75 cm.

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 glabrous;

blades green, widest blades (2.3–)3–3.9(–5.6) mm wide, smooth abaxially or sparsely antrorsely scaberulous on main veins.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

(0.12–)0.21–0.91(–0.99) of culm height;

peduncles of lateral spikes scaberulous;

peduncles of terminal spikes 2.9–71(–103) mm, barely exceeded by to much exceeding lateral spikes;

proximal bract sheath loose, abaxially glabrous, sheath front slightly convex, elongated 0.5–1.6 mm beyond apex;

ligules 0.8–2.9(–3.7) mm;

distal bract slightly shorter than to much exceeding terminal spike.

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.

(2–)3–6, widely separate or distal 2–4 overlapping or rarely all congested;

lateral spikes pistillate, with (6–)18–37(–86) perigynia, 5–29 × 3.1–10.2 mm, ratio of spike length (in mm) to flower number = 0.51–0.95;

terminal spikes (5–)8–26(–30) × 1–3.3(–4.2) mm.

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.

spirally imbricate, 17–25-veined, unwrinkled, oblong-ovoid to oblong-obovoid, orbicular or suborbicular in cross section, (2.5–)2.8–3.6(–4.3) × (1.2–)1.3–1.7(–1.8) mm, (1.7–)1.9–2.5(–2.8) times as long as wide, lustrous, base very gradually tapered, apex gradually tapered;

beak absent or straight, 0–0.2 mm.

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

obovoid, 1.8–2.6 × (1–)1.2–1.4 mm, loosely enveloped by perigynia;

stipe straight 0.1–0.3(–0.4) mm;

beak straight, 0.2–0.4(–0.5) mm.

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.

scales 2.4–4.7 × 1.4–2.1 mm, margins red-brown to whitish, entire, apex with awn 0.2–2.7 mm or rarely awnless.

scales (2.3–)2.9–4.5 × 1–1.6 mm.

1.8–3.6 mm.

= 56.