Flora of North America species comparison

(20–)30–100 cm, 2.5–8 mm wide basally, 0.7–1.6 mm wide distally.

20–60 cm, scabrous distally;

bases (remnants of old leaves) slightly or not fibrous.

sheaths usually loose, proximally green-and-white-striped, not white spotted, with conspicuous transverse veins on back, fronts hyaline, sometimes transversely rugose and red dotted, thin, white or hyaline and fragile at mouth;

ligules 2–7 mm, shorter to longer than wide;

widest leaf blades (3–)4–8 mm wide.

blades green, 1.8–5 mm wide, widest leaves 3+ mm wide, herbaceous, papillose to scabrous abaxially, papillose to scabrous adaxially.

with 5–15 spikes, 1–5 cm × 8–15 mm, occasionally compound, then somewhat larger;

proximal bracts to 3 cm;

spikes with 5–15 ascending to spreading perigynia;

proximal internodes shorter than to 1.5 times as long as proximal spikes.

usually with both staminate and pistillate spikes, rarely only pistillate;

peduncle of staminate spike 0.7–9.7 mm;

proximal nonbasal bracts leaflike, usually shorter than inflorescences.

proximal pistillate spikes 2–3 (basal spike 0);

cauline spikes usually clearly separated, with 3–10 perigynia; staminate spikes 3.1–15.5 × 1–2.5 mm.

pale green to pale brown, veinless or 3–7(–12)-veined abaxially, rarely veined adaxially, 3.5–5.5 × 2–3 mm, body somewhat spongy, base thickened, margins serrulate distally;

beak 0.6–1.6 mm, apical teeth 0.3–1 mm.

pale green, veinless, globose to obovoid, 2.7–3.8 × 1.2–2.6 mm, as long as wide;

beak usually straight, occasionally slightly bent, pale green, 0.5–2.3 mm, weakly ciliate-serrulate, apical teeth 0.1–0.5 mm.

circular to elliptic- circular, 1.8–2.1 × 1.6–2 mm.

pale brown, globose to obovoid, round to obtusely trigonous in cross section, 1.4–2.3 × 1–1.4 mm.

scales hyaline or brown with green, 1–3-veined center, ovate, 2.6–4.4 × 1.3–2.4 mm, body shorter to slightly longer than perigynium, apex acuminate to short-awned.

1.5–3 mm.

1.8–3 mm.

pistillate scales pale brown to dark reddish brown, often with broad white margins, ovate to lanceolate, 2.5–4.8 × 1.2–2 mm, shorter than to exceeding perigynia, apex obtuse to acuminate or short-awned; staminate scales elliptic to obovate, 3.1–5.2 × 0.7–2.2 mm, apex obtuse to acuminate or short-aristate.

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