Flora of North America species comparison

5–40 cm.

to 90 cm × 5 mm, scabrous.

blades 5–15(–25) cm × 1–2.5(–3.5) mm.

sheaths all with blades, fronts smooth, red spotted, indistinctly linearly veined, apex red-brown, membranous, truncate, minutely ciliate;

ligules rounded, 2 mm, free limb to 0.5 mm;

blades glaucous, not epistomic, to 90 cm × 12 mm.

proximal bracts leaflike, exceeding inflorescences, sheaths to 10 mm;

lateral spikes with 9–30 perigynia, approximate or proximal distant, dense, 7–15 × 3–5 mm;

middle internodes 0.3–0.7 mm;

terminal spike usually gynecandrous, with at least 1/3 of flowers staminate, rarely entirely staminate, sessile or short-pedunculate, 6–15(–20) mm, (1.2–)1.5–2.5 mm wide in staminate portion.

densely spicate, cylindric, elongate, with 15–25 distinguishable branches, 10–20 × 6 cm;

proximal internode to 10 mm;

proximal bracts setaceous, apparent.

ascending, white, elliptic-obovate, 2–3 × 1.2–1.8 mm, densely papillose.

pale brown, red-brown distally, 10–12-veined abaxially, 5-veined adaxially, to 8 mm, body to 1.2 mm wide, base to 2.2 mm wide, base distended proximally forming disk, cordate;

stipe to 0.9 mm;

beak to 4.5 mm, mouth deeper abaxially, serrulate, apical teeth somewhat spreading.

elliptic-circular, 1.4–2 × 1–1.5 mm.

ovate, 2.5 × 1.4 mm;

stalk to 0.2 mm;

persistent style base cylindric, 0.3 mm.

scales ascending, medium to dark brown with paler midvein and hyaline margins, ovate-circular, 1.7–2.7 × 1–1.9 mm, apex obtuse to acute, sometimes shortly mucronate.

scales brown with paler midvein and hyaline margins, oblong-ovate, (2–)2.5–3.7 mm, apex obtuse to acute.

hyaline.

= 52.