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.

10–90 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.

blades 1–3.5 mm wide.

elongate, 0.9–4 cm;

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

3–12(–22) cm;

proximal internodes 10–60(–100) mm;

peduncles of proximal spikes to 8 cm;

proximal bracts with blades 5–140 mm, sheaths cylindric, 5–25(–35) mm, mouth 0.9–1.5 mm wide.

3–8;

lateral spikes androgynous or pistillate, rarely some entirely staminate, the proximal inclined or pendent, 5–30 × 3–7 mm;

terminal spike staminate or androgynous, 10–28 × 1.8–4 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.

ascending, pale yellow proximally, brown or black distally, 3–9-veined, lanceolate, 3.5–5.5 × 1.1–2.4 mm, margins ciliate-serrulate distally, apex tapered, shortly setose, sometimes setae confined to veins, or subglabrous;

beak indistinct, to 0.5(–1) mm.

obovoid, 1.7–2.2 × 1–1.3 mm.

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

scales brown to black, oblong-obovate, 3–5.8 × 1.1–2 mm, apex obtuse to acute, sometimes shortly awned.

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

1.5–3 mm.

scales brown or black with hyaline margins, oblong-ovate, 3.1–6.2 × 1–3 mm.