Flora of North America species comparison

20–60 cm, 2–3.5 mm wide basally, 0.5–1 mm wide distally.

to 80 cm.

sheaths tight, green, rarely white spotted, fronts hyaline, slightly thickened at mouth;

ligules to 5 mm, longer than wide;

widest leaf blades (1.9–)2.5–5 mm wide.

blades 3–8 mm wide.

forming dense heads, with 3–8 spikes, 0.6–2 cm × 5–10 mm;

proximal bracts 1–5 cm;

spikes with 4–20 ascending to spreading perigynia.

with 3–5 spikes;

peduncles of proximal spikes exserted more than 1 cm;

proximal bracts with blade (10–) 15–50 mm, sheaths cylindric to ± expanded to mouth, 20–37 mm, mouth with narrow, ± purple band at top, usually Y- or V-shaped, mouth 0.7–1.8 mm wide.

pale green to pale yellow, veinless or to weakly 8-veined abaxially, 2.5–3.2 × 1.4–2 mm, body elliptic to circular, widest at 0.4–0.55 length of body, margins serrulate distally;

beak 0.7–1.1 mm, apical teeth 0.3–0.5 mm.

ascending, usually purple or red-brown, veins usually indistinct, ovate to elliptic, 3.2–5.5 × 0.9–1.7(–2) mm, margins flat, less than 1/2 mature achene width, margins setose-ciliate distally, usually at least sparsely hispidulous to shortly setose;

beak ± distinct, apex brown to purple, setose-ciliate, distance from beak tip to achene apex usually more than 2 mm.

circular, 1 × 1 mm.

obovoid, body 1.5–2 × 0.8–1 mm.

scales hyaline with green midvein, ovate, 1–1.8 × 0.8–1.4 mm, body not more than 1/2 length of perigynium, apex acuminate to short-awned.

scales purple or brown with pale, usually indistinctly veined, ovate to elliptic, 2.3–3.8 × 0.8–1.7 mm, midvein and margins ciliate, apex obtuse to short-awned.

0.7–1.3 mm.

1.5–3 mm.

spikes pistillate or often androgynous, purple to brown, proximal spikes pendent to erect, 14–25 × 4–7 mm.

spike staminate or androgynous, ± erect, 10–21 × 4.5–6 mm.

scales purple or reddish brown with pale midvein, ovate to obovate, 3–4.4 × 1–1.4 mm, margins slightly ciliate, apex obtuse.

= 48.