Flora of North America species comparison

basally cormlike, trigonous, (15–)30–100 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm, glabrous.

weak, often arching, basally culmlike, weakly 4(–5)-angled, 10–30 cm × 0.2–0.4 mm, glabrous.

flat to V-shaped, 10–65 cm × 3–9 mm, adaxial surface, margins minutely scabridulous.

1–4, 3–25 cm × 1–1.5 mm.

spikes densely globose to globose-ovoid, 8–17 mm wide;

rays 3–12, 2–12 cm, scaberous adaxially especially distally;

rachis 4–8 mm;

bracts (3–)4–7, ascending at 30(–45)°, flat, 5–35 cm × 2–9 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.5–0.7 mm wide.

rays absent, often proliferous;

bracts 2–4, longest erect, looking like continuation of culm, V-shaped, 3–6 cm × 1–3 mm.

50–100, oblong-lanceoloid, ± terete-quadrangular, (3.5–)4–7 × 1–1.4 mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, 3–5, appressed, stramineous to brownish, 4-ribbed laterally, oblong-elliptic, 3.5–4.5 × 1–1.8 mm, membranous, apex entire or emarginate with mucro to 0.3 mm.

1–3(–6), narrowly ellipsoid, weakly compressed, 5–10 × 2 mm;

floral scales 8–16, laterally whitish or dull stramineous, medially green, weakly 3–4-ribbed, broadly ovate, 2.5 × 2 mm, apex acute to mucronate, mucro slightly excurved, 0.2–0.3 mm.

anthers 0.4–0.8 mm;

styles 0.5–0.6 mm;

stigmas 1 mm.

stamens 3;

styles 0.8 mm;

stigmas 1–1.3 mm.

brown, ± stipitate, oblong, (1.5–)1.8–2.3 × 0.5–0.6(–0.7) mm (1/2 length of floral scales), apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate.

brown, stipitate, obovoid, abaxial angle more prominent than adaxial ones, 0.7 × 0.7 mm, apex emarginate, surfaces glabrous.