Flora of North America species comparison

phyllopodic, with dead leaf remains at base, 5–35 cm.

20–80 cm.

blades 1–2.5 mm wide, margins sometimes involute, scabrid at tip.

sheaths adaxially conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped region at collar;

summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 2–4 mm;

blades 3–5 per fertile culm, 14–25 cm × 1–3 mm.

proximal bracts 0.5-2 cm, much shorter than inflorescences;

lateral spikes 6–15 × 3.5–5 mm, with 2–10 perigynia;

terminal spikes 6–20 × 1–2.5 mm.

usually nodding, ± open, yellow-brown or reddish brown, 2.5–6 cm × 5–16 mm;

proximal internode (2–)5–16 mm; 2d internode 5–17 mm;

proximal bracts bristlelike.

3–9, distant, distinct, ellipsoid, 6–15 × 4–8 mm, base acute, apex obtuse;

lateral spikes with staminate portion 2 mm or less at base.

2.5–4.5 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded;

beak absent.

spreading, reddish brown, conspicuously 5-veined or more on each face, lance-ovate to weakly obovate, flat except over achene, 3.8–5.6 × 1.9–2.8 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, base rounded, margin flat, including wing 0.4–0.7 mm wide;

beak ascending, reddish brown at tip, flat, 1/2 length of body, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with brown or reddish brown-hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 2–3 mm.

elliptic, 1.5–1.8 × 0.9–1.1 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick.

scales circular-ovate, 3–4.8 × 2.2–3.4 mm, long as and wider than perigynia, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronate.

scales reddish brown, often with green or pale midstripe, lanceolate, 3.5–4.9 mm, shorter and much narrower than perigynia, margin reddish brown, apex firm, acuminate or awned.

scales oblanceolate to obovate, 3.2–4.8 × 1.5–2 mm, apex acute to obtuse.

2–2.5 mm.

= 52.

= 74.