Flora of North America species comparison

30–120(–140) cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

23–88 cm × 0.5–1.6 mm, smooth.

sheaths adaxially conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, with a narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped hyaline region at collar; adaxially firm, summits U-shaped, finely papillose;

distal ligules 1.8–4.4(–6) mm;

blades 2–4(–6) per fertile culm, 8–30 cm × 2–4.5 mm.

ligules 1–3.5 mm, 1–3 times as long as wide;

blades 1.1–4.4 mm wide, widest blade 1.3–4.4 mm wide.

± erect, usually open, green to brown, 1–4.5(–6) cm × 5–14 mm;

proximal internode 1–14 mm; 2d internode 3–8 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, often with bristle tips.

(12–)21–63(–71) mm;

proximal internode 3.3–16(–23) mm;

proximal bracts 5–24(–28) mm, awn 1.3–19 mm;

spikes 3–8, usually gynecandrous, sometimes also pistillate, staminate or with pistillate and staminate flowers scattered throughout;

proximal spikes with 0–2 staminate and 9–19 pistillate flowers, 10–17(–20) × 1.8–5 mm;

terminal spikes usually with 0–3 staminate and 8–18 pistillate flowers, 9–20(–25) × 1.5–5 mm.

3–10, distinct, ellipsoid to ovoid, 6–13(–17) × 3.8–7 mm, base rounded or obtuse, apex obtuse to broadly acute; staminate portion 2 mm or less.

appressed-ascending, green to drab brown, conspicuously 5–many-veined on each face, obovate, flat except over achene, 3–4.6 × 1.6–2.6(–2.8) mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.5–0.8 mm wide;

beak green to brown at tip, flat, broadly triangular, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with conspicuous white hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.4–2.2 mm.

erect, green to pale brown, (3–)4–8-veined abaxially, prominently to weakly 3–6-veined adaxially, narrowly lanceolate, (3.3–)4.1–6.7 × 0.8–1.3 mm, (3.5–)4–6.1(–6.6) times as long as wide, apex abruptly contracted or gradually tapering;

beak 1.2–2.2(–2.8) mm, 0.28–0.51 times as long as perigynia, margins serrulate, apex entire or bidentulate, teeth to 0.2 mm, 0–0.05 times as long as perigynia.

oblong, 1.3–1.7 × 0.7–1 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, apiculum less than 0.4 mm;

style straight.

1.7–2.2 × 0.7–1.1 mm, 1.9–2.9 times as long as wide.

scales white-hyaline, becoming pale silvery brown with age, with pale or green center, broadly lanceolate, 2.2–3.7 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse.

scales with pale to red-brown margins, 2.8–4.1 × 1.1–1.6 mm, apex acuminate or with awn to 0.6 mm.

scales with pale to red-brown margins, 2.8–3.9 × 1.4–1.6 mm, apex acute to acuminate.

1.7–2.9 mm.

2–3.4 mm.

= 58, 62.