Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

8–38 cm;

bases (remnants of old leaves) weakly to strongly fibrous.

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.

blades green, 1.5–3.5(–5) mm wide, herbaceous, smooth to scabrous abaxially, smooth to scabrous adaxially.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

usually with either staminate or pistillate spikes, occasionally with both;

peduncles of staminate spikes short;

proximal nonbasal bracts leaflike, dark purple to black at base, shorter than inflorescences.

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.

proximal pistillate spikes 1–4 (basal spikes 0–1);

cauline spikes overlapping or somewhat separted, with 4–9 perigynia;

staminate spikes 13–24 × (1.4–)2–4.1 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.

green, occasionally dark purple in age, veinless or 5-veined near base, obovoid, 3.1–3.6 × 1.5–1.8 mm;

beak slightly bent, dark purple, 0.5–1 mm, weakly ciliate-serrulate, apical teeth 0.2 mm.

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

pale to medium brown, globose, round in cross section, 1.9–2.2 × 1.4–1.8 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.

pistillate scales dark purple to black, with narrow white margins, lanceolate, 3.8–4.6 × 1.3–1.8 mm, apex acuminate;

staminate scales oblanceolate, 4.6–5.6 × 1.1–1.6 mm, apex acute;

proximal staminate scales with narrow white margins 0.1–0.2 mm wide.

2.1–4 mm.

3.

= 56.