Flora of North America species comparison

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

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

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

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

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.

(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.

(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.

anthers (0.4–)0.6–1 mm;

styles 0.4–1.6 mm;

stigmas 1–1.5 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.

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.

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.