Flora of North America species comparison

erect, not stiff, 15–90 cm.

30–75 cm.

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 adaxially often tinged brown, summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 0.5–2(–3) mm;

blades 4–6 per fertile culm, 17–45 cm × 2.5–4.5 mm.

2–15 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

open or dense, greenish brown to gold, 2.5–4 cm × 9–20 mm;

proximal internode 4–16 mm; 2d internode 2–7.5 mm;

proximal bracts leaflike, longer 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.

3–8, distant, distinct, fusiform to broadly ovoid or obovoid, 11–21 × 6–9 mm, base acute to attenuate, apex truncate to tapered.

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 to ascending, green or gold, usually inconspicuously veined on each face, narrowly ovate to ovate, flat except over achene or ± plano-convex, 5.4–7.2(–7.5) × 2–2.8(–3) mm, 0.5–0.6(–0.7) mm thick, 2.4–2.7 times as long as wide, margin flat, including wing 0.45–0.8 mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least distally;

beak red-gold to red-brown, sometimes white-hyaline at tip, flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture usually inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 2.2–3.6 mm.

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

oblong to broadly ovate, 1.9–2.7 × 1.4–2 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick.

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 red-brown, red-gold, or gold, with pale brown or whitish midstripe, lanceolate to broadly ovate, 4.3–6.2 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, margin white, (0.1–)0.2–0.3(–0.5) mm wide, apex acute to acuminate.

= 56.