Flora of North America species comparison

5.5–20 cm.

to 90 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

basal sheaths reddish brown, blades mostly basal, pale green, shorter than culms, thin, 1–3.1 mm wide.

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.

peduncles of proximal spikes short;

peduncles of terminal staminate spikes 1–3.1 mm;

proximal bracts short-sheathing; pistillate spikes 2–3, emerging from cauline nodes, aggregated, ascending, ovoid to ellipsoid;

terminal staminate spikes 5–6.8 × 1.1–1.5 mm.

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.

ellipsoid, 2.3–3.3 × 1.1–1.4 mm, base cuneate, pubescent with coarse, wrinkled white hairs;

beak straight, 0.3–0.4 mm.

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.

ellipsoid, 1.7–2.1 × 1–1.3 mm.

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

style base cylindric.

pistillate scales reddish brown, ovate, apex obtuse, minutely ciliate.

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

1.3–1.4 mm; staminate scales dark reddish brown, ovate, margins white, apex obtuse to rounded, scarious.

with prominent apiculus to 0.5 mm.

3, thin, flexuous, strongly papillose.

= 54.