Flora of North America species comparison

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

basally cormlike, trigonous, (8–)15–40(–60) cm × (0.4–)0.8–1.5(–2) mm, glabrous or sparsely to densely scabridulous to minutely scabrid on angles or usually on surface, just proximal to bracts or over distal few centimeters.

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

(1–)3–4, V-shaped, (7–)15–25(–40) cm × 1–3(–5) mm, sparsely minutely scabridulous on margins and keel in distal 1/3, otherwise glabrous.

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.

spikes 1–3, sessile (occasionally 1 spike on peduncle 5–20 cm, produced from axil of distalmost leaf), loosely cylindric to oblong-ovoid, (9–)15–30(–45) × (3–)8–15(–18) mm;

bracts 2–3(–7), longest erect, or very nearly so, others spreading, (1–)3–20(–26) cm × (0.5–)1–3(–5) mm;

rays (1–)2–6(–11), (1–)2–7(–12) cm, in some depauperate plants rays less than 1 cm;

rachilla ± deciduous, wingless.

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.

(4–)8–25(–35), oblong-ellipsoid to linear, compressed-quadrangular, (2–)7–11(–15) × (2–)2.4–3.2(–3.5) mm;

floral scales (1–)4–8(–14), laterally dull whitish, stramineous, or light brown, or reddish brown to deep red, often red-dotted especially near keel, medially greenish, broadly ovate-deltate to ± orbiculate, laterally strongly 3(–4)-ribbed, medially weakly 1–3-ribbed, (1.6–)1.8–2.4 × (1.8–)2.2–2.8 mm, margins clear, erose especially apically, apex obtuse, tipped with straight mucro 0.1–0.2(–0.3) mm.

anthers 0.4–0.8 mm;

styles 0.5–0.6 mm;

stigmas 1 mm.

anthers 0.4–0.6 mm;

styles 0.4(–0.8) mm;

stigmas 0.6–1 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.

finely reticulate with isodiametric cells, this layer gradually wearing away to reveal inner brown to reddish brown layer, stipitate, ovoid to obovoid, 1.4–1.6(–1.9) × 1–1.3(–1.4) mm, base cuneate to ± attenuate, stipe 0.1–0.2 × 0.2 mm, apex obtuse, slightly apiculate, inner layer papillose.