Flora of North America species comparison

15–38 cm.

(24–)35–85 cm.

sheath summits white-hyaline, green ribbed, U-shaped, occasionally prolonged to 4 mm distal to collar;

distal ligules 1–3(–3.5) mm;

blades 2–4 per fertile culm, 4.5–18 cm × 1.5–2.5 mm.

sheath adaxially white-hyaline, summits U-shaped to rounded;

distal ligules 2–3 mm;

blades (1–)2–4(–5) per fertile culm, flat ± to tip, 7–22 cm × (1.5–)2–3.5(–4) mm.

nodding, dense, dark or medium brown, 1–1.2 cm × 5.5–10 mm;

proximal internode 1.3–3 mm; 2d internode 0.6–1.5 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike to bristlelike.

stiffly erect, usually open, brown, 1.5–4 cm × 10–15 mm;

proximal internode (2.5–)4–10 mm; 2d internode (2.5–)3–6 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike or bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences.

3–6, usually individually indistinct, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 4.5–6.5 × 2.5–5.5 mm, base and apex acute to rounded;

terminal spike without conspicuous staminate base.

5–9, usually loosely aggregated, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 9–14 × 6–8 mm, base attenuate, apex rounded to tapered.

ascending-spreading to spreading, gold to dark brown, conspicuously 0–7-veined abaxially, conspicuously 0–4-veined adaxially, ovate, plano-convex, 2.6–3.2 × 0.9–1.3 mm, 0.5–0.65 mm thick, margin unwinged, pithlike tissue usually present in proximal perigynia walls;

beak medium or dark brown at tip, often with white-hyaline, cylindric to somewhat flat, abaxial suture with conspicuous white margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.2–1.6 mm, entire.

ascending to ascending-spreading, gold to light brown, conspicuously 3–9-veined abaxially, conspicuously 2–5-veined adaxially, lanceolate to ovate, usually flat except over achene, 3.4–4.7(–5.2) × 1.3–2.1 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.6 mm wide;

beak red-brown or gold at tip, usually cylindric, unwinged, ± entire for 0.3–0.5 mm, sometimes flat, ciliate-serrulate to tip, abaxial suture often with conspicuous white margin, distance from beak tip to achene (1.2–)1.5–2 mm.

ovate to obovate, 1.2–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick.

elliptic to broadly ovate, 1.1–1.8 × 0.9–1.2 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick.

scales dark brown, usually with pale or green midstripe, ovate, 1.5–2.5(–3.5) mm, usually shorter, narrower than perigynia, margin occasionally hyaline gold, to 0.4 mm wide, apex obtuse or acute.

scales reddish gold to brown or greenish, often white-hyaline at tip or base, with pale or green midstripe, narrowly to broadly ovate, 3.4–5 mm, length and width less or greater than perigynia, margin not white-hyaline, apex acute to acuminate.

= 64

= 62, 64, 66, 68.