Flora of North America species comparison

yellow-brown to dark brown at base, 15–60 cm.

15–60 cm, proximally scabrous.

sheaths hispidulous;

blades green, widest blades (3–)3.4–5.4(–6.5) mm wide, glabrous abaxially or sparsely hispidulous on midrib.

2.5–4 mm wide.

0.19–0.48 of culm height;

peduncles of lateral spikes smooth or barely scaberulous;

peduncles of terminal spikes (4.2–)7.5–37(–43) mm, much exceeding lateral spikes;

proximal bract with sheath tight, abaxially scabrous, sheath front apex convex, elongated (0.6–)1.6–4.9(–6.6) mm beyond apex;

ligules 3.3–5 mm;

distal bract usually much exceeding terminal spike.

proximal bracts usually shorter than, sometimes equaling, occasionally exceeding, inflorescences;

spikes spreading or erect, overlapping, contiguous, forming dense terminal cluster or, sometimes, proximal spikes separate, sessile, short-oblong, 7–12 × 6–10 mm;

lateral 2–3 spikes pistillate;

terminal spike gynecandrous.

3–5, separate or distal 2–4 spikes overlapping;

lateral spikes pistillate, with 2–7 perigynia, 6–29 × 3.8–6.8 mm, ratio of spike length (in mm) to flower number = 3.5–4.8;

longest terminal spikes 14–34(–42) × 1.3–3(–3.5) mm.

distichously imbricate, 52–59-veined, unwrinkled, obovoid or narrowly obovoid, obtusely triangular in cross section, (4.5–)4.6–5.6(–6.2) × 1.9–2.2(–2.3) mm, (2.1–)2.3–2.8(–3) times as long as wide, dull, base gradually tapered, apex abruptly contracted;

beak excurved, (0.5–)0.8–1.3 mm.

ascending or spreading, pale yellow, dark brown or blackish with green or yellow-brown margins, veinless, ovate or, rarely, circular, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, apex abruptly beaked, papillose on distal margins and serrulate;

beak 0.4–0.5 mm, shallowly or deeply bidentate, often serrulate.

obovoid-ellipsoid, 3.2–3.9(–4.2) × (1.6–)1.8–2.1 mm, tightly enveloped by perigynia;

stipe bent 45–70°, 0.4–0.6 mm;

beak bent more than 90°, 0.3–0.5 mm.

filling proximal 1/2 or less of perigynia.

scales (4.1–)5.6–9.4(–11.6) × 1.6–2.6(–3.3) mm, margins whitish, denticulate, apex with awn 1.1–6.8 mm.

scales dark brown or black, distal margins often hyaline, ovate or lanceolate, shorter than or as long and broad as pergynia, midvein same color as body, inconspicuous, apex acute.

scales 5.2–6.9 × 1.5–1.7 mm.

3.4–4.2 mm.