Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

8–27 cm, scabrous distally;

bases (remnants of old leaves) strongly 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 green, greatly exceeding culms, 1.4–4 mm wide, herbaceous, papillose to scabrous abaxially, papillose to scabrous adaxially.

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 0.3–0.8 mm;

proximal cauline bracts leaflike, usually 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 2–3 (basal spikes 0);

cauline spikes overlapping, proximal 2 separated by less than 7 mm, with 6–15 perigynia;

staminate spikes 5.3–10 × 1.1–2.3 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.

pale green, veinless, ellipsoid, 2.8–3.6 × 1–1.3 mm, longer than wide;

beak straight, pale green, 0.7–1 mm, weakly ciliate-serrulate, apical teeth 0.1–0.4 mm.

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

brown, ellipsoid, obtusely trigonous in cross section, 1.4–2 × 0.9–1.2 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 to, usually, dark reddish brown to purplish brown, with similarly colored or narrow white margins, ovate to lanceolate, 2.9–3.7 × 1.2–2 mm, equaling or exceeding perigynia, apex acute to acuminate or cuspidate;

staminate scales ovate, 3–4.3 × 1–1.8 mm, apex obtuse to acute or acuminate.

1.4–2.6 mm.

3.

= 56.

= 36.