Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

acutely angled, 20–90 cm, 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.

basal sheaths brown;

sheaths of proximal leaves glabrous, fronts lacking spots and veins, apex U-shaped;

blades amphistomic, 3–12 mm wide, glabrous.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

proximal bract subequal to inflorescence, 3–7.5 mm wide.

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.

erect;

staminate 1–3;

pistillate 2–4;

proximal pistillate spike 3–5.5 cm × 5–8 mm, base cuneate.

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.

divergent, brown with red-brown spots on apical 1/2, 5–9-veined on each face, somewhat inflated, loosely enclosing achenes, ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.6–4 × 1.6–2.5 mm, leathery, dull, apex rounded or obtuse, glabrous;

beak brown, 0.3–0.6 mm, leathery, bidentate, teeth to 0.5 mm.

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

not constricted, dull.

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 red-brown, longer than perigynia, apex acute, awned, awn to 0.5 mm.

= 56.

= 66, 68.