Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, (2–)4–30 cm × 0.4–2 mm, glabrous.

1–20, trigonous, 2–16 cm × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous.

1–5, (blades often absent, base of culm with 1 reddish sheath bearing minute blade tooth 1–2 mm), (3–)10–18 cm × (0.5–)1.5–2(–2.6) mm.

1–3, flat to V-shaped, (1–)5–10(–15) × 0.5–2.5 mm.

spikes 1–3, ovoid or ± digitate, 10–30 × 8–26 mm;

rays 1–4(–6), 0.5–3(–9) cm;

bracts 2–3, approximately horizontal, 1–12 cm × 0.5–2.5 mm.

spike 1, loosely to densely ovoid to oblong, 6–20(–40) × 9–15(–20) mm;

rays absent or 1–3(–6), 4–40 mm;

bracts (1–)2–4, longest ± erect, V-shaped, 1–15 cm × 0.5–3 mm;

rachilla ± deciduous, wingless.

1–6, compressed, oblong-lanceoloid, 5–15 × (2–)2.3–2.8 mm;

floral scales (4–)8–24, closely imbricate, laterally yellow to yellowish brown, margins light brown to clear, medially green, laterally ribless, medially 2–3-ribbed, 2-keeled basally, ovate, (1.5–)1.8–2.2 × 1.8 mm, apex obtuse.

(2–)6–20(–40), greenish to reddish brown, somewhat compressed, ovoid-lanceoloid to oblong, 2.5–10(–20) × 1.3–2.2 mm (excluding awns);

floral scales deciduous, (4–)10–20(–34), greenish to stramineous or brownish red laterally, greenish medially, (5–)7–9(–11)-ribbed nearly to margins, oblong-lanceolate, (1.2–)1.3–1.8(–2.2) × (0.5–)0.7–0.8(–1) mm, apex cuspidate, excurved awn additional 0.5–1(–1.3) mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 0.4 mm, connectives not prolonged;

styles 0.5–1 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.8 mm.

stamen 1, filaments 1.5 mm;

anthers oblong, 0.2–0.3 mm, connective apex reddish, minute;

styles 0.3–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.4–0.7 mm.

jet black to reddish brown, slightly stipitate, obovoid, 1–1.2 × 0.8 mm, apex apiculate, surface with network of rectangular longitudinally elongate cells and transverse undulations.

light brown to nearly black, stipitate, obovoid (occasionally linear-spatulate or linear oblong, infrequently constricted in middle), 0.7–0.8(–1.1) × (0.2–)0.3–0.4(–0.5) mm, stipe 0.05–0.1 × 0.1 mm, apex truncate, apiculate, surfaces papillose.