Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

strongly purple-red to 3.2–8.8 cm high at base, 10–55 cm;

longest vegetative shoots 0.88–1.4 times as long as longest culms.

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 glabrous;

blades green, widest blades (1.8–) 2.4–4(–4.6) mm wide, smooth abaxially.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

0.46–0.94(–0.99) of culm height;

peduncles of lateral spikes barely scaberulous or smooth;

peduncles of terminal spikes 2.6–113 mm, barely to much exceeding lateral spikes;

proximal bract with sheath tight, abaxially glabrous, sheath front convex, elongated (0.8–)1.1–4.0 mm beyond apex;

ligules 0.8–4.1(–6.4) mm;

blade uniformly green;

distal bract usually much exceeding terminal spike.

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.

3–5, widely separate or distal 2–3 spikes overlapping;

lateral spikes pistillate with 2–8(–10) perigynia, (4–)9–19 × 3.8–7.5(–9.2) mm, ratio of spike length (in mm) to flower number = 1.5–3.8;

terminal spikes (7–)14–32(–45) × 1.1–2.3(–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.

distichously imbricate, 51–67-veined, unwrinkled, narrowly obovoid-ellipsoid, obtusely triangular in cross section, 3.7–4.7 × 1.6–1.9(–2) mm, (1.8–) 2.2–2.6 times as long as wide, dull, base gradually tapered, abruptly contracted;

beak straight, 0.4–1.2 mm.

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

obovoid, 2.8–3.4 × 1.5–1.8 mm, tightly enveloped by perigynia;

stipe straight, 0.3–0.6 mm;

beak straight, (0.05–)0.2–0.4(–0.5) 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.

scales 2.8–6.8 × 1.5–2.4 mm, margins whitish, entire, apex with awn 0.7–4.1 mm.

scales 4–5 × 1.3–1.6 mm.

2.8–3.5 mm.

= 56.