Flora of North America species comparison

0.6–1.8 mm thick, shoots often arising 2–several per cluster, many nodes without shoots.

to 100 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

bluntly trigonous, (6–)10–35 cm, smooth-angled distally.

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.

basal sheaths grayish brown to dark brown, shredding into fibers;

sheaths with hyaline inner band, apex not prolonged beyond base of blade;

ligules 0–0.8 mm, glabrous;

blades 0.6–1.8 mm wide.

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.

0.7–2 cm, 1/2+ as wide as long (if pistillate);

spikes 3–8, androgynous, ovoid.

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.

dark reddish brown, essentially veinless, ± stipitate, broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, thickly plano-convex, 2.4–3.9 × 1.5–2.1 mm, shiny;

beak 0.3–0.9 mm, hyaline, weakly bidentulate or oblique.

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

pale brown, hyaline, awn to 3 mm.

scales dark reddish brown, with hyaline margins, broadly ovate, 2.4–4.1 mm, apex acute to acuminate, shiny.

1.4–3 mm, apiculus smooth to warty, very short and broad (30X).

= 52.