Flora of North America species comparison

30–120(–140) cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

to 30 cm.

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.

blades 1.5–3.5 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.

1–12 cm, proximal internodes 5–50 mm;

peduncles of proximal spikes to 5 cm;

proximal bracts with blade 0–15(–40) mm, sheath cylindric, (3–)4–22 mm, mouth 0.5–1.2 mm wide.

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.

(2–)3–4(–5);

lateral spikes pistillate, the proximal inclined or pendent, 6–21 × 3–6 mm;

terminal spike gynecandrous, rarely staminate, pendent, 8–10 × 3.5–5 mm.

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.

ascending, pale brown proximally, black or dark brown distally, veins indistinct, lanceolate, 3.3–5.5 × 0.9–1.3(–1.4) mm, margins ciliate, glabrous;

beak indistinct.

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

style straight.

obovoid, 1.5–2 × 0.9–1 mm.

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 black or brown with pale, weak midvein and very narrowly scarious margins, ovate, 2.8–4.2 × 1.4–2.4 mm, apex obtuse to acuminate.

scales brown to black with pale midvein and scarious margins, oblong-obovate to obovate, 3–5 × 1.4–1.8 mm.

1.2–2.7 mm.

= 58, 62.