Flora of North America species comparison

to 100 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

to 120 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 glaucous, fronts strongly veined, veins persisting as a pinnate network, apex thickened, truncate or distal sheaths concave;

blades 40–75 cm × 4–8 mm, strongly scabrous on margins and adaxial surface.

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.

with 5–7 spikes, 20 cm;

peduncle of lateral spikes to 5 cm;

proximal bracts equaling inflorescences, 2–4 mm wide;

lateral spikes with staminate spikelets at apex, pendent, 3–6 cm × 6–9 mm.

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.

ascending, red-brown, angles veined, faces veinless or indistinctly 3–4-veined, sessile, elliptic, 3.2–5 × 1.8–2.6 mm, base rounded, apex obtuse to tapered, densely papillose with minute translucent papillae giving grayish color, glaucous;

beak 0.2–0.5 mm, often minutely bidentate, slightly thickened, teeth to 0.1 mm.

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

ellipsoid, 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 mm, base not conspicuously broadened.

pale brown, hyaline, awn to 3 mm.

scales shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex retuse, awn to 3.5 mm.

= 52.