Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

purple-red to 4.8–11.4 cm at base, 8.9–39 cm;

vegetative shoots 33–59 cm, 1.4–2.2 times as tall as 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.

green, widest blades 3–4.6 mm wide.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

8.1–29 cm, 0.73–0.95 of culm height;

internode between proximalmost scales in proximalmost spike 2.4–3.5 mm;

internode between distal lateral spikes 0.4–7.4(–9.8) cm, longest internode between distal lateral spikes 0.9–7.4(–9.8) cm;

peduncle of terminal spike 0.3–3.2(–6.8) cm, longest peduncle per plant 0.87–3.2(–6.8) cm;

proximal bract sheaths tight, hyaline band of adaxial face of sheath with apex truncate or concave;

ligules 4–4.9(–9.6) mm;

blades uniformly green, bract blade of distalmost lateral spike exceeding terminal spike, longest bract blade of distalmost lateral spike 3.2–9.5 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.

4–6, distalmost 2–3 spikes overlapping or, rarely, all spikes separate;

lateral spikes pistillate, with 2–12 perigynia, longest spike per plant with (5–)7–12, 7–20 × 3.5–4.8 mm, ratio of longest lateral spike length (in mm) to flower number = 1.8–2.5;

terminal spike 14–38 × 1.2–2.1 mm, longest per plant 17–38 mm, exceeding distalmost lateral spike Pistillate scales 2.5–4.2 × 1.4–2.2 mm, body 1.5–2.4 mm, midrib prolonged as awn 0.4–2.4 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, prominently 49–66-veined, slightly inflated, narrowly obovate in outline, obtusely trigonous in cross section, 4.1–4.7 × 1.4–1.6, 2.7–3.1 times as long as wide, 1.8–1.9 times as long as achene bodies, base gradually tapered, apex gradually tapered;

beak absent or straight, 0–0.4 mm, 0–0.1 of perigynium length.

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

2.9–3.4 × 1.3–1.4 mm, tightly enveloped by perigynia, base abruptly contracted, apex abruptly contracted;

stipe 0.5–0.6 mm;

body 2.2–2.6 mm;

beak straight, 0.1–0.3 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 3.9–4.8 × 1.2–1.8 mm, apex acute, awn 0–2.2 mm.

= 56.