Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous with obtuse angles, 15–75 cm, to 3 mm diam. at base, glabrous.

to 90 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

sheaths to 2.5 cm;

blades 30–35 cm × 5 mm.

sheath fronts spotted red-brown, veinless, plane, apex truncate to convex, membranous;

ligule rounded, to 1 mm, free limb to 0.2 mm;

blades to 75 cm × 6 mm, shorter than flowering stem.

10–30 cm;

peduncles of proximal spikes to 4 cm;

bracts 8–15 cm × 3–5 mm, shorter than inflorescences;

lateral spikes 4–5, 6–10-flowered, 1 × 2.5 cm.

loosely paniculate, 4–12 cm × 15–20 mm, with 10–20 branches proximal branches distinct; the proximal internode to 25 mm;

bracts scalelike, not conspicuous, the awn, when present, 15–50 mm.

green with red-brown spots, 15–20 raised veins, to 15 × 1.2 mm;

beak obliquely cut, herbaceous, teeth cartilaginous, to 1 mm;

style curved, short stigmas protruding from perigynium at base of oblique orifice.

dark brown-black, 3–5-veined abaxially, 0–3-veined adaxially, body ovate to lanceolate, 3–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm, base rounded to cordate, conspicuous basal spongy tissue somewhat distending perigynium;

beak 1–1.5 mm.

yellow-brown, oblong, obtusely angled, 3 × 1 mm, tightly enclosed by perigynia, dull.

red-brown, ovate, 1.2–1.5 × 1–1.2 mm, glossy;

style base cylindric.

white or translucent with green midvein, ovate, body to 2.5 mm, less than 0.5 length of perigynia, herbaceous, apex acute, acuminate or mucronate, awn to 0.5 mm.

hyaline, red-brown or pale brown, margins colorless, broad, shining, apex acute or mucronate.

with prominent apiculus to 0.5 mm.