Flora of North America species comparison

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

30–120(–140) cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

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.

sheaths adaxially conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, with a narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped hyaline region at collar; adaxially firm, summits U-shaped, finely papillose;

distal ligules 1.8–4.4(–6) mm;

blades 2–4(–6) per fertile culm, 8–30 cm × 2–4.5 mm.

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.

± erect, usually open, green to brown, 1–4.5(–6) cm × 5–14 mm;

proximal internode 1–14 mm; 2d internode 3–8 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, often with bristle tips.

3–10, distinct, ellipsoid to ovoid, 6–13(–17) × 3.8–7 mm, base rounded or obtuse, apex obtuse to broadly acute; staminate portion 2 mm or less.

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.

appressed-ascending, green to drab brown, conspicuously 5–many-veined on each face, obovate, flat except over achene, 3–4.6 × 1.6–2.6(–2.8) mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.5–0.8 mm wide;

beak green to brown at tip, flat, broadly triangular, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with conspicuous white hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.4–2.2 mm.

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

oblong, 1.3–1.7 × 0.7–1 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, apiculum less than 0.4 mm;

style straight.

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.

scales white-hyaline, becoming pale silvery brown with age, with pale or green center, broadly lanceolate, 2.2–3.7 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse.

1.5–3 mm.

= 58, 62.