Flora of North America species comparison

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

uniformly slender, 40–80 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 conspicuously green-veined nearly to collar, narrow hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped region at collar, adaxially firm, summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 1.6–3.3 mm;

blades 2–5 per fertile culm, 12–18 cm × 1.5–2.5 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.

stiffly erect, dense to slightly open, brown, 1.5–3(–3.5) cm × 6–14 mm;

proximal internode 2–12 mm; 2d internode 2–7 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, often with bristletips shorter than or equaling inflorescences.

2–5, distant, distinct, ovoid, 7–12 × 4–7 mm, base rounded or short-acute, apex acute.

2.5–4.5 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded;

beak absent.

15–80 in larger spikes, appressed, usually golden brown, conspicuously 6–9-veined abaxially, inconspicuously veined adaxially, diamond shaped, flat except over achene, 4–5 × 2–2.8 mm, 0.4–0.5 mm thick, base subacute or acute, margin flat, including wing 0.6–0.9 mm wide, smooth;

beak apprressed, golden brown at tip, flat, 0.7–1.6(–1.8) mm, 2/5+ length of body, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with hyaline, golden brown margin, distance from beak tip to achene 2–3 mm.

elliptic to ovate, 1.5–1.7 × 0.8–1.1 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, 1-veined midstripe sometimes pale, broadly lanceolate, 2.7–3.6 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex firm, acute to acuminate.

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

2–2.5 mm.

= 52.

= 72.