Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

23–37 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 adaxially white-hyaline, summits U-shaped or rounded;

distal ligules 1–2.5 mm;

blades 2–4 per fertile culm, 7–13 cm × (1.5–)2–3 mm.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

open, brown or orange-brown, (1–)1.8–3 cm × 6–11 mm;

proximal internode 4.5–9 mm; 2d internode, when present, 2–7 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike or tipped with stout awn or bristle, shorter than inflorescences.

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.

(1–)2–3, distant, distinct, narrowly oblanceloid to oblanceloid, (12–)14–22 × 5.5–7 mm, base attenuate, apex acute to rounded.

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.

appressed to appressed-ascending, green to gold, conspicuously 8–14-veined abaxially, conspicuously 4–8-veined adaxially, at least 3 adaxial veins longer than achene, lanceolate to ovate, plano-convex, 5.9–8.5 × 1.5–2.2 mm, (0.5–)0.6–0.7 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.3–0.5(–0.6) mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least distally;

beak red-brown or brown, often white-hyaline at tip, usually cylindric, unwinged, ± entire for 0.5–0.8 mm, occasionally flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene (2.6–)3–4.1 mm.

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

ovate, elliptic, or obovate, (1.9–)2–3 × 1.1–1.5 mm, 0.4–0.7 mm thick.

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 reddish brown or gold, with pale gold midstripe, lanceolate, 4.5–5.8 mm, 3/4 length of and narrower than perigynia, margin white, 0–0.15 mm wide, apex acute.

scales with white-hyaline margin 0–0.2 mm wide.

= 56.