Flora of North America species comparison

25–60(–85) cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

up to 12 cm, scabrous.

sheaths adaxially white-hyaline, summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 1.5–6 mm;

blades (2–)3–4(–5) per fertile culm, 7–22 cm × 2–4 mm.

blades V-shaped in cross section when young, (0.5–) 1.2–2 mm wide, papillose, scabrous.

erect, usually dense, green, gold, or dark brown, 1.8–3 cm8–14 mm;

proximal internode 2–3(–5) mm; 2d internode 1–3 mm;

proximal bracts bristlelike, shorter than or equaling inflorescences.

proximal bracts usually with sheath 2.5–3 mm;

lateral spikes usually 1–2 distal, 2–3 basal, 3–7 × 4 mm;

terminal spike staminate or gynecandrous, 7–8 × 1.5–2 mm.

6–14, distant, distinct, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 8–10 × 4.5–6.5 mm, base and apex acute to truncate.

ascending, white to gold or light brown, 0–5-veined abaxially, 0–4-veined adaxially, narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, flat except over achene or, occasionally, plano-convex, 3.4–4.1(–4.7) × 0.9–1.3 mm, 0.15–0.35 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.1–0.2 mm wide, usually crinkled distally;

beak brown or red-brown at tip, flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene (1.8–)2.1–3 mm.

15–27-veined, most veins on faces 0.1 mm wide or wider, about as wide as marginal veins, obovoid, 3–4 × (1.1–)1.4–1.9(–2.1) mm, glabrous proximally, hispidulous distally;

beak distinct, abruptly bent, 0.1–0.5 mm.

± elliptic, 1.1–1.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm, 0.15–0.35 mm thick;

style usually persistent, sinuate.

sessile, with 2 faces convex, 2–2.4 × (1.1–)1.4–1.9 mm, apex retuse.

scales gold to dark brown, with whitish, green, or brown midstripe, lanceolate, 3–3.8 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex acuminate to short-awned.

scales 3–5(–10)-veined, obovate, 3.5–4.2 × 1.3–2 mm, proximal ones longer than perigynia, apex subobtuse to acuminate and often mucronate.

scales 5-veined or more, 4–5 × 1.5–2.1 mm.

= 52, ca. 66, 70.