Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous, (10–)30–80(–140) cm × (0.4–)1–3(–5) mm, glabrous.

roundly trigonous, (10–)20–30(–45) cm × 0.4–1.2 mm, distal 1/2 glabrous or infrequently scabridulous.

V-shaped or flanged V-shaped, (5–)15–70(–90) cm × (2–)4–10(–13) mm, glabrous.

2–6(–8), V-shaped or flat, 8–12(–16) cm × 1–2(–4) mm.

spikes 1(–5), rather densely ovoid or oblong-cylindric, (10–)25–45(–62) × 7–22 mm, 11–21 spikelets per 5 mm of rachis;

rays (3–)5–10(–17), (1–)5–12(–24) cm;

bracts (2–)4–8, ascending at 30–45°, V- or inversely W-shaped, (2–)8–40(–65) cm × (1–)2–8 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings 0.4–0.5 mm wide.

heads hemispheric, 7–12(–15) mm diam.;

rays 1–3(–5), 0.5–2 cm;

bracts 3–6, longest erect to ascending, flat to V-shaped, (1.5–)3–12(–25) cm × 1–2.5(–3.5) mm.

(10–)50–150, oblong to linear, quadrangular, (3–)4–8(–18) × (0.8–)1–1.2(–1.6) mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales (1–) 3–8, pale greenish white to golden brown, deep brown, or reddish brown, medially usually green, weakly to strongly 3(–4)-ribbed laterally, 1–3-ribbed medially, ovate to elliptic, (2–)2.6–3.2(–4) × 1.2–2 mm, apex obtuse.

(15–)25–50(–75), ovoid, compressed, 4–7 × 2–3 mm;

floral scales 8–20(–35), laterally yellowish, yellowish green, or light reddish brown, medially light brown or greenish brown, 2-keeled, subtly 1-ribbed, ovate-lanceolate, 1–2 × 1–1.4 mm, apex acute, mucronate, straight to excurved, glabrous or sparsely scabridulous.

anthers (0.4–)0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.4–1.6 mm;

stigmas 1–1.5 mm.

stamen 1;

anthers 0.5 mm;

styles 0.8–1.1 mm;

stigmas 0.5 mm.

brown or reddish brown, sessile or nearly so, ellipsoid, 1.4–1.8(–2) × 0.6–0.8(–1) mm, apex acute to obtuse, slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.

brown, stipitate, broadly ellipsoid, abruptly contracted to base, 0.8–1.1 × 0.3–0.4 mm, stipe 0.1 mm, apex acute, tapering to slender beak formed of persistent style base, surfaces papillose.