Flora of North America species comparison

20–100 cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

densely tufted, ascending, lax or, occasionally, decumbent, 12–44 cm × 0.7–1.2 mm.

sheath summits U-shaped;

distal ligules 2.3–4.8 mm;

blades 3–5 per fertile culm, 10–32 cm × 1.4–3(–3.5) mm.

basal sheaths brown;

sheaths 3–24 mm, serrulate;

blades ascending, midrib well developed abaxially, lateral veins developed, flat, 10–32 cm × 3–10 mm, blades of overwintering leaves smooth.

10–30 × 2–7 mm, 2d pistillate bract frequently overtops terminal and distal lateral spike, blade of distal lateral spike linear, narrower than spikes, widest bract blade of distalmost lateral spike 0.5–3.4 mm wide.

arching or nodding, dense or open, green, yellow, or brown at maturity, 1.5–6 cm × 5–20 mm;

proximal internode 2–12 mm; 2d internode 2–13 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, with bristle tip.

peduncles of proximal spike 0–8 cm, distal lateral spike not exserted; of terminal spike to 0.2 cm.

3–10, distinct, ellipsoid, 7–16 × 3–9(–13) mm, base acute to short-attenuate, apex acute to rounded.

4(–5) per culm;

lateral spikes 9–22 × 2.8–4 mm;

terminal spike linear, 7–16 × 1.2–2 mm, arising from same bract as distal lateral spike, usually surpassed by distal bract.

ascending or rarely widely spreading, golden brown, conspicuously 5-veined on each face or fewer adaxially, winged to base, lanceolate, flat except over achene, 4.2–6.8 × 1.2–2 mm, length at least 3 times width, 0.35–0.55 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.6 mm wide;

beak pale to golden-brown at tip, flattish, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with white or golden brown hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 2.2–4.8 mm.

5–14 per spike, overlapping or slightly scattered on proximal spike, ascending or spreading, 8–18-veined, 2–3 veins conspicuous, others obscure, elliptic-obovate, 2.2–3.2 × 1–1.5 mm, membranous;

beak abruptly to slightly curved, 0.3–1.1 mm.

ovate or elliptic, 1.3–1.7 × 0.7–0.9 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick.

obovoid, 1.8–2.8 × 0.8–1.2 mm.

scales hyaline brown, occasionally with green or gold midstripe, lanceolate, 3.4–4 mm, shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex acuminate.

scales 2–2.5 × 1–1.8 mm, apex acute or apiculate.

scales ovate, 2.2–2.6 × 0.8–1 mm, margins hyaline or slightly brown tinged, apex acute.

1.6–2 mm.

= 36.