Flora of North America species comparison

in medium- to large-sized clumps, 30–90 cm.

20–100 cm;

vegetative culms with few leaves clustered at apex.

cauline, usually overtopping culms;

blades 10–40(–50) cm × 4–9 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.

with proximal spikes ± strongly separate on slender peduncles, others approximate and short-pedunculate or subsessile, narrowly oblong to cylindric, 1–4 cm × 3.5–5.6 mm;

lateral spikes, if gynecandrous, with ca. 30–140 pistillate flowers distally and (0–)1–10 staminate flowers proximally;

terminal spikes staminate proximally, 1/2–3/4 pistillate distally.

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.

olive green to brown, very broadly compressed-obovoid, sharply edged, 2–2.6 × 1.8–2.4 mm;

beak often projecting out at 90° angle.

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.

widely oblong-obovoid, 1.5–1.8 × 1–1.3 mm, apex short-apiculate.

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

scales ovate, 1.5–3.2 mm, mostly not quite as long as perigynia.

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