Flora of North America species comparison

to 100 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

erect to arching, slender, 15–90 cm.

sheath fronts spotted red-brown or pale brown, apex truncate or short-convex, membranous or hyaline, rugose;

ligule retuse or rounded, to 2 mm, free limb to 0.2 mm;

blades 120 cm × 5 mm, longer than flowering stem.

sheaths relatively tight, pale to mid brown abaxially, inner band thin and hyaline, often concave at summit;

ligules as long as wide;

blades green to yellowish green, flat, 10–25(–40) cm × 0.5–2 mm, shorter than culms.

spicate, (3–)7–10 cm × 15 mm, with 10–15 branches, the proximal branches distinctly separate; the proximal internode to 25 mm;

bracts setaceous, those subtending at least the proximal lateral branches conspicuous.

erect to somewhat nodding, 1.5–7 cm × 3–6 mm;

proximal bracts bristlelike-prolonged, shorter than to exceeding spikes;

distal bracts usually scalelike.

5–10, gynecandrous, proximal ± separate, distal closely approximate, containing 5–10 perigynia, sessile, globose to short-oblong, 3–7 × 3–4 mm;

terminal spike staminate for less than 1/2 of length, scarcely clavate.

green to pale brown, veinless on both faces or 3-veined abaxially, body ovate or elliptic, 2–3.2 × 1.3–1.8 mm, base obtuse;

beak 0.8–1.2 mm, 1/3–1/2 length of perigynium.

appressed-ascending to loosely spreading at maturity, green or brown, often dark brown in age, lightly several-veined, elliptic-ovate, 2–2.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm, widest near middle, membranous;

beak shor, margin serrulate.

red-brown, ovate, 1.2–1.4 × 1 mm, glossy.

pale to mid brown, ovate-orbiculate, 1.25–1.5 × 0.8–1 mm, glossy.

pale brown, hyaline, awn to 3 mm.

scales white-hyaline with green, 3-veined center, often brown tinged, ovate, subequal to, not concealing perigynia, apex obtuse to acute.

= 52.

= 56.