Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

obtusely or acutely angled, 10–50 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 brown;

sheaths of proximal leaves glabrous, fronts lacking spots and veins, apex U-shaped;

blades usually amphistomic, 2–4 mm wide, papillose or smooth.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

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.

erect;

staminate 1–2;

pistillate 1–4;

proximal pistillate spike 1.6–2.4 cm × 4–7 mm, base cuneate or 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.

ascending, pale brown, obscurely veined or with a few prominent veins on each face, somewhat inflated, loosely enclosing achenes, ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.7–3.5 × 1.6–2.4 mm, leathery, dull, base rounded, apex acute, glabrous;

beak widely conic and almost continuing body of perigynium, 0.1–0.2(–0.3) × 0.30–0.45 mm, entire.

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

entire or strongly constricted on 1 face, or irregularly constricted on margins, apex truncate to retuse, dull;

style base straight, sometimes 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 dark purple-brown; 2–5.5 × 1.2–1.8 mm (including awn), narrower than perigynia, midvein reaching apex or not, 1/10–1/2 the width of scale, apex acute to acuminate, rarely aristate, awn glabrous or scabrous.

bract equal to or longer than inflorescence, 1.5–3.5 mm wide.

= 56.

= 80 (ne Russia).