Flora of North America species comparison

to 100 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

erect, slender, 10–15(–30) cm, rough 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.

sheaths pale brown abaxially, persisting, inner band thin, hyaline, sometimes red tinged, truncate or shallowly concave at summit;

ligules shorter than wide;

blades pale green to gray-green, flat or slightly involute, 5–10 cm × 1–2 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.

0.7–1.5 cm × 4–7 mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, occasionally bristlelike, shorter than spikes.

2–3(–4), lateral spikes gynecandrous, closely approximate or the proximal slightly separate, individually distinct, containing 3–8 perigynia, oblong-clavate, 3–6 × 3–5 mm;

terminal spike not 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, green-white proximally, pale brown distally, often brown in age, finely several-veined, elliptic, 2–3 × 1.25–1.5 mm, widest near middle, apex conic with weakly convex, usually entire margin, subcoriaceous;

beak indistinct.

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

red-brown, broadly obovate, 1.25–1.5 × 1 mm, dull to slightly glossy.

pale brown, hyaline, awn to 3 mm.

scales red-brown with lighter center and broad white-hyaline margins oblong-ovate, subequal to perigynia, apex obtuse.

= 52.

= 62, 64.