Flora of North America species comparison

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

40–110 cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous with 9–17 leaves mostly clustered near apex of culm.

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 abaxially green or with pale intervenal areas with scattered, horizontal green septa, adaxially hyaline band broad, smooth, summit concave to truncate, equaling to extending 2 mm beyond collar;

ligules 1.8–4.8 mm;

blades 4–6 per fertile culm, 2.5–35 cm × 1.8–4.2 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 to slightly arching, compact to elongated, pale brown, 2.8–5.9 cm × 6–17 mm;

proximal internode 3.5–12(–17) mm; 2d internode 3–9(–13) mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, often with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

(3–)4–7(–11), distinct, ovoid, 9.5–20.5 × 6–9 mm, base rounded to 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.

15–80 on larger spikes, ascending, yellowish green to brown with paler margins, conspicuously 7–11-veined abaxially, faintly (0–)2–8-veined adaxially, wings with 1–4 veins, ovate, elliptic, or ± orbiculate, plano-convex, (4.5–)4.8–6.1(–6.3) × 2.5–3.8 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, herbaceous, opaque with achene not clearly visible through adaxial face of perigynium, base rounded, margin flat, including wing 0.5–1.3 mm, smooth;

beak yellowish green to pale brown, strongly flattened, (1.2–)1.5–2.1(–2.3) mm, serrulate-margined to apex, abaxial suture pale or copper-brown, distance from beak tip to achene (2–)2.3–3.3 mm.

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

ovate to elliptic, 1.8–2.4 × 1.3–1.7 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, apiculum to 0.4–0.9 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.

scales pale brown with narrow yellow-green to brown midstripe prominent to tip, lanceolate, (3.7–)4–5.2 mm, (2.6–)2.9–3.7(–4.2) times as long as wide, reaching base to middle of perigynium beak, shorter than perigynia by (0.4–)0.6–1.4(–1.6) mm, margin hyaline, apex firm and herbaceous, flat or inrolled, with subulate tip or awned.

1.5–3 mm.

(1.8–)2.2–3.6 mm.

scales acuminate.

= 60.