Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

(35–)45–95(–110) cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous.

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 sometimes abaxially green and white mottled near to collar, adaxially green-veined near collar, Y-shaped, white-hyaline area at collar, adaxially firm, summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 2–5.5 mm;

blades on fertile culms 3–5, 1.5–24 cm × 1.8–4 mm.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

open or dense, usually nodding or arching, yellowish brown, 2.3–8.4 cm × 6–17 mm;

proximal internode 2.3–16 mm; 2d internode 6–15 mm;

proximal bracts bristlelike to 3 cm.

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–)5–8(–9), distant, distinct, conic to globose, 8–19 × 4.2–8.2 mm, base often strongly clavate, apex acute to rounded;

staminate portion of well-developed spikes to 11 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.

appressed, pale yellow or golden brown with green wing and beak, conspicuously 4–6-veined abaxially, conspicuously 4–6(–7)-veined adaxially, obovate to broadly elliptic, biconvex, 3–4.7 × 1.9–2.8 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.5–0.9 mm wide;

beak greenish at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with white or reddish brown-hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.8–2.7 mm.

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

elliptic, 1.4–2 × 0.9–1.2 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, 48b apiculum 0.4–0.8 mm;

style straight or slightly sinuous.

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 yellowish brown to reddish brown with green midstripe, lanceolate or narrowly ovate, 3–4 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, margins white-hyaline, apex acute to obtuse.

= 56.

= 62.