Flora of North America species comparison

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

straight or arcuate, 2–85 cm.

sheaths hispidulous;

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

of flowering stems shorter than to exceeding culms, to 20 cm × 0.8–5.4 mm;

ligules on distal cauline leaves usually obsolete (except in 414.b Carex viridula subsp. brachyrrhyncha).

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.

peduncles of terminal staminate spikes 0–28 mm;

bracts to 18 cm × 0.6–3.4 mm;

inner band of sheaths concave or truncate.

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.

proximal pistillate spikes 1–8, contiguous or proximal distant, sessile or short-pedunculate, globose to short-cylindric, 4–17.5 × 3–11 mm;

terminal staminate spike sessile or pedunculate, 5–25 × 1–3.6 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.

spreading, yellow to dark olive, 1.8–4.2 × 0.8–2 mm, apex gradually or abruptly narrowed;

beak straight or reflexed less than 20°, 0.3–2.1 mm, scabrous or smooth.

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.

1–1.8 × 0.7–1.4 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 5.2–6.9 × 1.5–1.7 mm.

3.4–4.2 mm.

0.9–3.1 mm.

pistillate scales pale brown to reddish brown, 1.4–3.2 × 0.8–1.7 mm, margins pale, narrow, hyaline; staminate scales reddish brown, lanceolate to ovate, 2.3–5.2 × 0.7–2 mm, margins narrowly pale hyaline, apex obtuse to acuminate.