Flora of North America species comparison

25–60(–85) cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

15–50 cm, distally slightly 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.

2–4 mm wide.

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 shorter than or exceeding inflorescences;

spikes separate, short-oblong or elongate, 7–20 × 4.5–8 mm;

proximal spikes often distant, spreading or pendent, very long-pendunculate;

distal spikes erect, pedunculate;

lateral (1–)2–3(–4) spikes pistillate, of similar length;

terminal spike staminate or with perigynia, neither wholly gynecandrous or androgynous.

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.

spreading, green or golden, becoming brown, veinless, elliptic, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–1.75 mm, apex beakless or abruptly beaked, papillose;

beak to 0.2–0.3 mm, truncate, smooth.

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

style usually persistent, sinuate.

nearly filling body of perigynia.

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 brown with hyaline margins, lanceolate, shorter and narrower than perigynia, midvein lighter colored than body, often raised, prominent.

= 52, ca. 66, 70.

= 52.