Flora of North America species comparison

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

25–35 cm, smooth.

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.

2–3 mm wide, often circinate.

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 shorter than or exceeding inflorescences;

spikes globose or elongate, 6–17 × 6–10 mm;

proximal spikes sometimes erect, separate, short-pedunculate;

distal spikes contiguous, overlapping, or erect, sessile or short-pendunculate, forming dense terminal cluster;

lateral 1–2(–4) 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, light brown, strongly veined, broadly elliptic, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, apex abruptly beaked, smooth or distally papillose;

beak 0.6–0.8 mm, deeply, sharply bidentate, smooth or papillose.

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

nearly filling body 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 light to dark brown or chestnut, distal margins broadly hyaline, lanceolate, equaling or, more commonly, exceeding and narrower than perigynia, midvein lighter colored than body, conspicuous, often raised, prominent, apex acute or mucronate.

1.5–3 mm.