Flora of North America species comparison

to 100 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

to 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.

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 3–7 spikes;

peduncles of proximal spikes exserted (0.5–)1 cm;

proximal bracts with blades 12–80 mm, sheaths cylindric, 12–58 mm, mouth not purple-banded, 0.6–2 mm wide.

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 to spreading, green to purple, indistinctly or distinctly 9-20-veined, (3–)3.5–5.5 × 0.9–1.6(–1.8) mm, usually without flat margins around achene, usually glabrous, margins often ciliate-setose distally;

beak 0.5–1.5 mm, tip dark purple, often ciliate-setose, distance from perigynium beak tip to achene apex less than 2.5 mm.

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

± obovoid, 1.3–2 × 0.7–1.1 mm.

pale brown, hyaline, awn to 3 mm.

spikes pistillate or androgynous, erect to pendent, purple or purple and brown, 12–32 × 5–10 mm;.

spike staminate, ± erect, 11–66 × 3–8 mm.

scales red-brown to dark purple with paler midvein, ovate to obovate, 1.9–3.5 × 1–1.7 mm, apex acute or obtuse.

scales gold to purple brown with pale, 2.9–4.5 × 0.7–1.6 mm, midvein ciliate, margins scarious, apex obtuse.

(1.9–)2–3 mm.

= 52.