Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

obtusely or acutely angled, 20–120 cm, glabrous.

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 red-brown;

sheaths of proximal leaves bladeless, scabrous, fronts with red-brown spots, prominently ladder-fibrillose, apex U-shaped, red-brown;

blades hypostomic, 3–7 mm wide, coriaceous, papillose abaxially.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

proximal bract longer than inflorescence, 3–6 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.

arching, at least the proximal pendent;

staminate 2–3(–5);

pistillate 2–5;

proximal pistillate spike usually sessile, 2.5–15 cm × 5–10 mm, base attenuate.

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, veinless, somewhat inflated, loosely enclosing achenes, ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.2–3.8 × 1.4–2.2 mm, leathery, glossy, apex rounded, glabrous;

beak colorless or with red-brown spots, 0.1–0.3 mm, orifice hyaline.

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

often constricted on 1 or both margins, glossy;

style base often bent.

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 and wider than perigynia, apex acute, awnless.

= 56.

= 70, 72, 74.