Flora of North America species comparison

coarse, 1.8–3 mm thick, typically with long, unbranched segments from which shoots arise singly every few nodes.

sharply trigonous, (10–)25–80(–100) cm, scabrous-angled distally.

sometimes curved, slender, 10–40 cm.

basal sheaths dark brown to nearly black;

sheaths with hyaline inner band, apex not prolonged, glabrous;

ligules 0.6–2.6 mm;

blades 1–3(–3.5) mm wide.

sheaths gray-brown to pale brown abaxially, inner band thin, hyaline, often red tinged, summit prolonged, concave;

ligules as long as wide;

blades yellowish green to pale gray-green, flat, 5–20 cm × 1–3 mm, subequal or shorter than culms, soft.

elongate, 0.9–4 cm;

spikes 5–18(–25), usually unisexual; staminate spikes lanceoloid; pistillate spikes ovoid.

1.5–5 cm × 7–12 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, sometimes bristlelike, shorter than spikes.

3–6, gynecandrous, proximal spikes separate, usually 1–1.5 cm apart, distal approximate, individually distinct, containing 5–15(–20) perigynia, oblong, 5–15 × 4–6 mm;

terminal spike conspicuously staminate at base, long-clavate, 10–20 mm.

brown to nearly black at maturity, essentially veinless, usually stipitate, ovate, plano-convex, (2.2–)2.6–3.7 × 1.2–1.9 mm, dull;

beak 0.7–1.2 mm, 1/4–1/2 length of body, apex ± hyaline, obscurely bidentate.

appressed-ascending, gray-green, often reddish dotted, often pale brown in age, finely several-veined, oblong-elliptic, 2.5–3.3 × 1.5–2 mm, widest near middle, coriaceous;

beak entire or with few marginal teeth.

pale brown to gray-brown, oblong, 1.75–2 × 1.25–1.5 mm, dull.

scales straw colored to pale reddish brown, with hyaline margins, ovate, apex acute to acuminate-awned, dull to ± satiny.

scales pale red-brown with lighter center and narrow hyaline margins, ovate, ± equaling, concealing perigynia, apex obtuse.

(1.8–)2.2–3.9 mm, apiculus bristly hairy (30X).

= 64.