Flora of North America species comparison

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

sometimes curved, slender, 10–40 cm.

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

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.

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.

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.

2.5–4.5 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded;

beak absent.

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

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

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

2–2.5 mm.

= 52.

= 64.