Flora of North America species comparison

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

25–120 cm;

vegetative culms few, inconspicuous, usually fewer than 15 leaves, not strikingly 3-ranked.

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

sheaths adaxially white-hyaline, summits U-shaped or truncate and reaching to 1.5 mm beyond collar, smooth;

distal ligules 1.5–2.8 mm;

blades 3–5 per fertile culm, 9–35 cm × 1.7–3.8 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.

congested or somewhat open, green to brown, 1.4–2.7(–3.4) cm × 7–16 mm;

proximal internode 3–9 mm; 2d internode 3–8 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

2–5, distant, distinct, globose to ovoid, 10–35-flowered, 7–12 × 5–10 mm, base rounded or tapered, apex rounded;

terminal spike usually lacking conspicuous staminate base.

2.5–4.5 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded;

beak absent.

(10–)15–40(–45) per spike, ascending, light greenish brown to brown with pale margin, conspicuously 6-veined or more abaxially, 4–6-veined adaxially, broadly ovate to orbiculate, plano-convex, 4–5.4 × 2.4–3.4 mm, 0.5–0.6 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.3–0.8 mm wide, smooth;

beak pale green or brown at tip, flat, 0.7–1.6(–1.8) mm, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with white or hyaline golden brown margin, distance from beak tip to achene 1.7–2.6(–2.9) mm.

broadly ovate to orbiculate, 1.6–2 × 1.4–1.8 mm, 0.5–0.6 mm thick.

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

scales yellowish brown, lance-ovate, 2.9–4 mm, 0.7–1.7 mm shorter than perigynium or reaching base or sometimes middle of perignyium beak, margins pale, apex acute or obtuse.

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

2–2.5 mm.

= 52.

= 74.