Flora of North America species comparison

to 100 cm × 2 mm, scabrous.

obtusely or acutely angled, 20–120 cm, glabrous.

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 red-brown;

sheaths of proximal leaves bladeless, scabrous, fronts with red-brown spots, prominently ladder-fibrillose, apex U-shaped, red-brown;

blades hypostomic, 3–7 mm wide, coriaceous, papillose abaxially.

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.

proximal bract longer than inflorescence, 3–6 mm wide.

arching, at least the proximal pendent; staminate 2–3(–5); pistillate 2–5;

proximal pistillate spike usually sessile, 2.5–15 cm × 5–10 mm, base attenuate.

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.

divergent, brown, veinless, somewhat inflated, loosely enclosing achenes, ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.2–3.8 × 1.4–2.2 mm, leathery, glossy, apex rounded, glabrous;

beak colorless or with red-brown spots, 0.1–0.3 mm, orifice hyaline.

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

often constricted on 1 or both margins, glossy;

style base often bent.

pale brown, hyaline, awn to 3 mm.

scales red-brown, longer and wider than perigynia, apex acute, awnless.

= 52.

= 70, 72, 74.