Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

7–55 cm, scabrous distally;

bases (remnants of old leaves) fibrous.

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.

blades pale to dark green, 0.7–3.6 mm wide, herbaceous, papillose to scabrous abaxially, papillose to scabrous adaxially, blades of distal cauline leaves poorly developed.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

with both staminate and pistillate spikes;

peduncles of staminate spikes 0.7–13 mm;

proximal nonbasal bracts leaflike, 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.

proximal pistillate spikes 1–3 (basal spikes 0);

cauline spikes overlapping or somewhat separated, with (2–)3–13 perigynia;

staminate spikes 8–22.5 × 1.4–4.6 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.

yellowish green to pale olive, veinless, obovoid, 2.7–4.6 × 1.2–1.7 mm, as long as wide;

beak straight, pale green to olive, occasionally with reddish brown tinge near apex, 0.9–1.6 mm, weakly ciliate-serrulate, apical teeth 0.1–0.6 mm.

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

dark brown, obovoid to globose, obtusely trigonous in cross section, 1.3–2.2 × 0.9–1.6 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.

pistillate scales pale or usually dark reddish brown, with narrow white margins, ovate to lanceolate, 2.7–4.3 × 0.8–2.4 mm, apex acute to long-acuminate;

staminate scales obovate to lanceolate, 3.7–6.1 × 1–1.4 mm, obtuse to acute or acuminate.

1.9–4.6 mm.

3.

= 56.