Flora of North America species comparison

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

50–90 cm;

vegetative culms with numerous leaves spaced evenly along distal 1/2.

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 green-veined nearly to collar with V-shaped hyaline band extending 4–20 mm proximal to collar, somewhat loose, expanded near summit, ± wing-angled, adaxially firm, summits thin, U-shaped to rounded, sometimes shortly prolonged beyond collar;

distal ligules 4–9 mm;

blades 3–6 per fertile culm, 18–40 cm × 3–7 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.

nodding, open at least proximally, pale brown, 2.5–6 cm × 7–14 mm;

proximal internode 5–12(–18) mm; 2d internode 3–11 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, sometimes bristlelike to 3 cm.

8–15, proximal spikes well spearated, nearly globose, 9–12 × 6–8(–9) mm, base tapered, apex rounded.

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.

usually 15–30 per spike, ascending to reflexed, with divergent beak, pale brown; conspicuously (3–)5–8-veined abaxially, conspicuously 3–6-veined adaxially, lanceolate, flat to plano-convex, thin, 2.9–4.3 × 1.2–1.6 mm, 0.3 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2 mm wide;

beak sometimes red-brown at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, distance from beak tip to achene 1.6–2.4 mm.

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

ovate to oblong, 1.1–1.7 × 0.6–1 mm, 0.3 mm thick.

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 to brown with brown or green midstripe not reaching tip, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 2–2.7 × 0.9–1.5 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse to nearly acute.

1.5–3 mm.

= 64.