Flora of North America species comparison

solitary or not, erect, 50–130 cm.

14–89(–101) cm × 0.3–1.1 mm wide, smooth or papillose.

4–7;

basal sheaths brownish;

sheath of distal leaf 3–21 cm;

ligules rounded to triangular, 6–28 mm;

blades 30–80 cm × 6–13 mm.

ligule on distal leaf 0.9–2.2 mm, as long as wide;

blades 0.6–4.2 mm wide, widest blade 2.4–4.2 mm wide.

6–40 cm;

peduncles of proximal spikes 1–13 cm, basal 2 peduncles 2–17 cm apart; of terminal spikes 1–12 cm, shorter than to somewhat exceeding the distal pistillate spike;

bracts leafy, sheath 1–9 cm;

blades 20–70 cm × 4–11 mm.

12–56 mm;

proximal internode 6–34 mm;

proximal bracts 6–49 mm, awn 7–46 mm;

spikes (2–)3–5, longest ones 2–5, usually gynecandrous;

proximal spikes with 1–2 staminate and (5–)7–12 pistillate flowers, 5.2–11(–13) × (2.1–)3.7–6.9 mm;

terminal spikes usually with 1–3(–5) staminate and (7–)9–13(–16) pistillate flowers, 6.8–13 × 3.8–8.1 mm.

proximal pistillate spikes 2–6, the distal usually ± crowded, ascending, densely 8–90-flowered, usually cylindric, 2–8 × 1.5–3 cm;

terminal staminate spikes 1–2, 2–10 cm × 2–5 mm.

ascending to spreading, strongly 17–25-veined, sessile, lance-ovoid, 12–18.5 × 3.8–6 mm, shiny, glabrous;

beak conic, 6–9 mm.

erect to ascending, green to pale brown, 0–5-veined abaxially, usually veinless adaxially, narrowly ovate, 4–4.9(–5.2) × 1.3–1.5(–1.6) mm, 2.9–3.8 times as long as wide, apex gradually tapering;

beak 1.4–2.1 mm, 0.32–0.4 times as long as perigynia, margins serrulate, apex entire or bidentulate, teeth to 0.2 mm, 0–0.05 times as long as perigynia.

stipitate, rhombic, concave faces, angles thickened, prominently knobbed with hard, nipplelike points, 3–4.5 × (2.2–)2.4–3.4 mm;

style same texture as achene.

1.8–2.2 × 1.2–1.5 mm wide, 1.3–1.8 times as long as wide.

scales 3–9 veined, lanceolate, 6–13 × 1.8–3.2 mm, apex acute to awned, awn rough, to 5.5 mm.

scales with colorless or stramineous margins, 3–4.5 × 1.6–2.2 mm, body 2.8–4.2 mm, apex acuminate to short-awned, awn to 0.6 mm.

3, 3.5–7 mm.

(1.8–)1.9–2.2 mm.

scales with colorless or stramineous margins, 3–5.3 × 1.2–1.6 mm, apex acute to acuminate or occasionally short-awned to 0.3 mm.

1.9–2 mm.