Flora of North America species comparison

3–6 cm (fl), elongating to 6–100 cm (fr).

round or trigonous, filiform, wiry, angles proximal to spike blunt or sharp, 5–35 cm, shorter than or longer than leaves.

sheaths adaxially strongly copper colored distally, truncate to convex at mouth, prolonged 2–8 mm beyond base of blade;

ligules 1.2–5.8(–9.2) mm;

foliage leaf blades 6–50 cm × 2–3 mm.

basal leaf sheaths fibrillose when old;

blades yellow-green or bright green, involute-cylindric, quill-shaped, 6–25 cm, 0.3–0.7 mm wide near base.

bisexual or, sometimes, nearly or wholly unisexual, flexuous and interrupted, proximal 1–5 branches often separated, decompound, 3–8(–9) × (0.4–)0.8–1.8 cm;

basal branch with (2–)4–10 spikes;

proximal internode 7–26(–33) mm.

7–30 × 3–7 mm, staminate portion 4–14 mm.

appressed or ascending, straw colored to light or dark brown, strongly 6–9-veined abaxially, with or without median lengthwise groove near base, sometimes membranous flap toward apex, lance-ovate (body ovate to very widely ovate) in outline, plano-convex, (2.1–)2.3–3(–3.3) × (1–)1.1–1.4 mm, dull;

beak 0.8–1.4 mm.

(2–)5–18, appressed to ascending, white to gold, obovate to orbiculate, 1.9–4.8 × 1.3–2 mm, body conspicuously hirsute or pubescent, at least distal 1/4 (occasionally only proximal to beak);

beak 0–0.8 mm, style base often conspicuously exserted from beak;

rachilla present.

broadly or very broadly trullate-ovate in outline, 1.2–1.6 × 0.7–1 mm.

obovate to elliptic, 1.5–3.3 × 1.1–1.9 mm.

scales light reddish brown, 2.4–3.3 × (1.1–)1.4–2.1 mm, as wide as or wider than perigynia.

pistillate scales pale red-brown with white or gold margins, broadly obovate, 2.3–4.5(–6.5) × 1.7–4 mm, shorter or longer than perigynia, apex obtuse to short-awned.

scales red-brown with broad, white margins, broadly obovate, apex obtuse.

± black.

= 66.