Flora of North America species comparison

20–100 cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

to 15(–30) cm.

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.

blades filiform, channelled, 2–8 cm × 0.25–1 mm.

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.

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

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.

distinctly veined, lanceolate, 2.3–3.1 × 0.7–1 mm;

beak 0.5–1 mm, margins entire or with 1 or 2 basal setae.

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

obovoid, 1.2–1.5 × 0.7 mm.

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

scales pale brown with hyaline margins and paler midvein, ovate, 1.8–2.2 × 1–1.4 mm, apex obtuse.

spike androgynous or staminate, ± level with lateral spikes, 2–8 × 0.6–1 mm.

spikes 2–5, usually suberect, 3–10-flowered, 4–10 × 2–2.5 mm.

scales brown with hyaline margins and paler midvein, oblong-lanceolate, 2.5–3 × 0.8 mm, apex obtuse or mucronate.