Flora of North America species comparison

35–110 cm;

vegetative culms few, inconspicuous, usually fewer than 15 leaves, not strikingly 3-ranked, leaves clustered at apex.

usually aphyllopodic, without dead leaf remains at base, 20–60 cm.

sheaths adaxially green, narrow hyaline band near collar, adaxially firm, summits U-shaped, smooth;

distal ligules 1.5–3.2 mm;

blades 3–6 per fertile culm, 12–38 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

blades 1–2.5 mm wide, margins involute, scabrid.

erect, ± congested, green to light brown, 1.3–3(–3.5) cm × 7–16 mm;

proximal internode 1.5–6 mm; 2d internode 2.5–6.5 mm;

proximal bracts aristate, with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

proximal bracts 2–6 cm, shorter than inflorescences;

lateral spikes sometimes androgynous, 6–20 × 4–8 mm, with 8–30 perigynia;

terminal spikes 7–35 × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm.

2–4(–5), overlapping, globose to ellipsoid, 6–16 × 5–12 mm, base and apex rounded;

terminal spike usually lacking conspicuous staminate base.

(25–)30–80 per spike, spreading at maturity, ascending-spreading, pale brown, conspicuously 5-veined or more abaxially, conspicuously 0–6-veined adaxially, elliptic to ± orbiculate, plano-convex, (3–)3.3–4.8(–5.7) × 1.8–3 mm, 0.5–0.6 mm thick, 1.2–1.8 times as long as wide, margin flat, including wing 0.4–0.8 mm wide, smooth;

beak light brown at tip, flat, 0.7–1.6(–1.8) mm, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with white or hyaline golden brown margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.6–2.6 mm.

2.5–4 × 1.8–2.6 mm, apex rounded;

beak 0.1–0.5 mm.

elliptic to narrowly oblong, 1.3–1.7 × 0.9–1.3 mm, 0.5–0.6 mm thick.

scales hyaline-brown, with green or pale midstripe, ovate, 2.9–3.5 mm, much shorter and narrower than perigynia, margins pale, apex acute.

scales ovate to ovate-circular, 3–5.5 × 2–3.4 mm, wider and as long as or slightly longer than perigynia, apex obtuse to subacute, sometimes mucronate.

scales obovate, 3–4.5 × 1.4–1.6 mm, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronate.

2–3 mm.

= 68, 70.