Flora of North America species comparison

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

10–90 cm.

sheaths hispidulous;

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

blades 1–3.5 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.

3–12(–22) cm;

proximal internodes 10–60(–100) mm;

peduncles of proximal spikes to 8 cm;

proximal bracts with blades 5–140 mm, sheaths cylindric, 5–25(–35) mm, mouth 0.9–1.5 mm wide.

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.

3–8;

lateral spikes androgynous or pistillate, rarely some entirely staminate, the proximal inclined or pendent, 5–30 × 3–7 mm;

terminal spike staminate or androgynous, 10–28 × 1.8–4 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, pale yellow proximally, brown or black distally, 3–9-veined, lanceolate, 3.5–5.5 × 1.1–2.4 mm, margins ciliate-serrulate distally, apex tapered, shortly setose, sometimes setae confined to veins, or subglabrous;

beak indistinct, to 0.5(–1) mm.

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.

obovoid, 1.7–2.2 × 1–1.3 mm.

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 brown to black, oblong-obovate, 3–5.8 × 1.1–2 mm, apex obtuse to acute, sometimes shortly awned.

scales 5.2–6.9 × 1.5–1.7 mm.

scales brown or black with hyaline margins, oblong-ovate, 3.1–6.2 × 1–3 mm.

3.4–4.2 mm.

1.5–3 mm.