Flora of North America species comparison

coarse, 1.8–3 mm thick, typically with long, unbranched segments from which shoots arise singly every few nodes.

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

sharply trigonous, (10–)25–80(–100) cm, scabrous-angled distally.

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.

basal sheaths dark brown to nearly black;

sheaths with hyaline inner band, apex not prolonged, glabrous;

ligules 0.6–2.6 mm;

blades 1–3(–3.5) mm wide.

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.

elongate, 0.9–4 cm;

spikes 5–18(–25), usually unisexual; staminate spikes lanceoloid; pistillate spikes ovoid.

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.

brown to nearly black at maturity, essentially veinless, usually stipitate, ovate, plano-convex, (2.2–)2.6–3.7 × 1.2–1.9 mm, dull;

beak 0.7–1.2 mm, 1/4–1/2 length of body, apex ± hyaline, obscurely bidentate.

suborbiculate, 1.7–2.2 × 1.5–1.8 mm.

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 straw colored to pale reddish brown, with hyaline margins, ovate, apex acute to acuminate-awned, dull to ± satiny.

0.7–1.3 mm.

(1.8–)2.2–3.9 mm, apiculus bristly hairy (30X).

= 46, 48.