Flora of North America species comparison

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

15–30 cm, distally finely scabrous.

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.

3–4 mm wide.

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.

proximal bracts usually shorter than or, occasionally, equaling inflorescences;

spikes contiguous, overlapping, forming dense terminal cluster or proximal spike sometimes distinct and separate, sessile or short-pedunculate, short-oblong, 10–12 × 5–8 mm;

lateral 2–3 spikes pistillate;

terminal spike gynecandrous.

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.

ascending, yellow green, golden brown or if dark brown with yellow margins, veinless, narrowly elliptic, 3.5–4 × 1.5–1.75 mm, apex gradually beaked, distally papillose;

beak 0.8–1 mm, bidentate, occasionally serrulate.

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

filling proximal 1/2 or less of perigynia.

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 blue-black to margins, lanceolate, shorter than, less frequently as long as, and as broad as perigynia, midvein same color as body, inconspicuous or lighter colored and conspicuous, apex acute.

1.5–3 mm.