Flora of North America species comparison

20–91 cm.

15–120 cm.

sheaths adaxially white-hyaline, sometimes gold tinged near summit, summit U-shaped or zigzag to rounded, prolonged to 3 mm beyond collar;

distal ligules 1.5–4 mm;

blades 3–4 per fertile culm, to 7–30 cm × 1.6–3.9 mm.

sheath white hyaline or green-veined, summits usually U-shaped, often prolonged to 4 mm beyond collar;

distal ligules 1–2.5(–4) mm;

blades 3–4(–5) per fertile culm, 10–30 cm × 1.2–4.2(–6.5) mm.

dense or open, gold to brown, occasionally beaded, 1.7–4.8 cm × 6–16(–23) mm;

proximal internode 3.5–7.5 mm; 2d internode 2–5.5 mm, these 2 internodes collectively more than 1/3 as long as inflorescences;

proximal bracts usually bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences.

dense or open, gold to dark brown, 0.9–2.8 cm × 6.7–16.3 mm;

proximal internode 0.7–4.5(–9) mm; 2d internode 0.7–4 mm;

proximal bracts usually scalelike, sometimes bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences.

(3–)5–12, distant, loosely aggregated, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 6–14.5 × 2.5–9.2 mm, base rounded to attenuate, apex truncate, rounded, or sometimes tapered.

3–9(–13), distinct or densely aggregated and individually indistinct, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 4.4–10 × 3.2–8.7 mm, appearing coarse-textured, base acute to rounded, apex rounded.

ascending, green or straw colored to coppery, conspicuously 6–11-veined abaxially, (0–)4–5(–8)-veined adaxially, veins reaching top of achene, lance-ovate to ovate, plano-convex or biconvex, 3.4–4.8(–5.3) × 1.1–1.6(–2.2) mm, 0.4–0.65 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.15–0.4 mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least on distal body;

beak gold to brown, usually reddish, at tip, cylindric, unwinged, ± entire for 0.5–0.6 mm, abaxial suture inconspicuous or with conspicuous white margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.5–2.5 mm.

ascending to spreading, golden brown or coppery to blackish, conspicuously (0–)2–9-veined abaxially, conspicuously 0–4(–7)-veined adaxially, veins reaching top of achene, ovate to elliptic-ovate, plano-convex, 2.8–4.7(–5.1) × 1.1–2.3 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.4 mm wide, sometimes filled with pithlike tissue near base, ciliate-serrulate at least on distal body, occasionally with white margin, with metallic sheen;

beak red-brown to black at tip, sometimes white-hyaline, cylindric, unwinged, ± entire for 0.4–0.7 mm, suture usually inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.5–2.2(–2.8) mm.

elliptic to ovate or, rarely, broadly ovate, 1.5–2 × 0.9–1.3 mm, 0.4–0.6 mm thick.

elliptic to broadly ovate, 1.2–1.9 × 0.7–1.4 mm, 0.4–0.6 mm thick.

scales gold to brown and often reddish, with whitish or green midstripe, ovate to broadly ovate, (2.5–)3.5–4.7 mm, usually shorter than and narrower or as wide as perigynia, margin white, 0–0.2 mm wide, apex obtuse to acuminate.

scales dark gold or red-brown to dark brown, usually with pale or green midstripe, ovate, 2.2–3.7(–4.2) mm, less than or equaling perigynia in length and width, margin white, 0–0.15 mm wide, apex obtuse to long-acute.

= 74.