Flora of North America species comparison

(24–)35–85 cm.

15–50 cm, pilose.

sheath adaxially white-hyaline, summits U-shaped to rounded;

distal ligules 2–3 mm;

blades (1–)2–4(–5) per fertile culm, flat ± to tip, 7–22 cm × (1.5–)2–3.5(–4) mm.

sheaths pilose;

ligules longer than wide;

blades 1.5–3 mm wide, pilose.

stiffly erect, usually open, brown, 1.5–4 cm × 10–15 mm;

proximal internode (2.5–)4–10 mm; 2d internode (2.5–)3–6 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike or bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences.

lateral spikes approximate or proximal distant, 6–12 × 4–7 mm;

terminal spike staminate or, rarely, gynecandrous with not more than 1/4 flowers pistillate, 8–16 × 2–4 mm.

5–9, usually loosely aggregated, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 9–14 × 6–8 mm, base attenuate, apex rounded to tapered.

ascending to ascending-spreading, gold to light brown, conspicuously 3–9-veined abaxially, conspicuously 2–5-veined adaxially, lanceolate to ovate, usually flat except over achene, 3.4–4.7(–5.2) × 1.3–2.1 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.6 mm wide;

beak red-brown or gold at tip, usually cylindric, unwinged, ± entire for 0.3–0.5 mm, sometimes flat, ciliate-serrulate to tip, abaxial suture often with conspicuous white margin, distance from beak tip to achene (1.2–)1.5–2 mm.

ascending, strongly 18–24-veined, ovate or obovate, 2.2–3.2 × 1.5–2.2 mm, glabrous;

beak 0.2–0.5(–1) mm.

elliptic to broadly ovate, 1.1–1.8 × 0.9–1.2 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick.

2–2.5 × 1.5–1.9 mm.

scales reddish gold to brown or greenish, often white-hyaline at tip or base, with pale or green midstripe, narrowly to broadly ovate, 3.4–5 mm, length and width less or greater than perigynia, margin not white-hyaline, apex acute to acuminate.

scales ovate-circular, 2–3 × 1.6–2.5 mm, not more than 1.5 times as long as wide, shorter than perigynia, apex obtuse to acuminate.

scales ovate, 3.2–4.1 mm, apex acute or acuminate.

1.9–2.4 mm.

= 62, 64, 66, 68.