Flora of North America species comparison

30–100 cm, 3–6 mm wide basally, 0.7–1.1 mm wide distally.

45–100 cm;

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

proximal sheaths loose, longitudinally green-and-white-striped, green-and-white-mottled, with prominent cross veins on backs, fronts hyaline and transversely rugose;

ligules 3–8 mm, as long as wide;

widest leaf blades 5–10 mm wide.

sheaths green or with white intervenal areas, often adaxially white-hyaline, summits U-shaped or prolonged to 2 mm beyond collar;

sheaths finely papillose or smooth;

distal ligules 1–3 mm;

blades 3–5 per fertile culm, 15–30 cm × 1–3.5 mm.

with 6–15 spikes, 3–15 cm × 8–12 mm, occasionally compound and then somewhat larger;

proximal internodes usually 20+ mm, more than 2 times as long as proximal spikes;

proximal bracts to 2 cm;

spikes with up to 50 ascending to spreading perigynia.

arching or nodding, ± open, green to light brown, 2.5–6 cm × 4.5–11 mm;

proximal internode 3–18 mm; 2d internode 3–13 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike or with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

3–10, distinct, ellipsoid to globose, 6–16 × 5–6.5 mm, base acute to attenuate, apex rounded;

terminal spike with conspicuous staminate base.

pale green, with wing 0.1–0.2 mm wide distally, veinless or weakly veined abaxially, 3.3–4.3 × 1.5–2.5 mm, margins serrulate distally;

beak 0.8–1.2 mm, apical teeth 0.2–0.4 mm.

(20–)25–60 in larger spikes, spreading, pale green to yellowish brown, conspicuously 5-veined or more abaxially, veinless or mostly indistinctly or basally 2–4(–6)-veined adaxially, orbiculate to elliptic, plano-convex, 2.5–4.2 × 1.5–2.3(–2.5) mm, 0.4–0.6 mm thick, nearly leathery, margin flat, including wing 0.3–0.6 mm wide, smooth;

beak green or light brown at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with conspicuous white-hyaline margin, distance from beak tip to achene 0.8–1.7(–2) mm.

suborbiculate, 1.7–2.2 × 1.5–1.8 mm.

ovate, 1.2–1.8 × 1–1.3 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick;

style sometimes abaxially-adaxially bent at base.

scales hyaline with green midvein, ovate to subcircular, 1.8–2.5 × 1.1–1.8 mm, body 1/2 length of perigynium, apex obtuse to acuminate or short-awned.

scales white-hyaline with white, green, or gold center, broadly lanceolate, 2.3–3.8 mm, shorter than and narrower than perigynia, apex acute.

0.7–1.3 mm.

1–2.1 mm.

= 46, 48.

= 68, 70.