Flora of North America species comparison

roundly trigonous, 80–120 cm × 3–6 mm, glabrous.

trigonous, basally tuberous-thickened, (5–)15–40(–80) cm × 1–2.5 mm, glabrous.

5–12, V-shaped, 30–75 cm × 8–14 mm, septate, leathery, margins harshly scabrid.

flat to V-shaped, (5–)10–30(–60) cm × (0.5–)1–3(–4) mm.

spikes 1–4 per ray, loosely ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 12–20 × 8–12 mm;

rays 6–9, 3–10(–12) cm; 2d order rays 1–4, 1–2 cm;

rachis 4–12 mm;

bracts 5–10, horizontal to ascending at 30°, 15–40 cm × 4–8(–11) mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, hyaline, fragile, 0.3 mm wide, covering less than 1/2 of achene.

spike 1, loosely to densely ovoid to cylindric, 8–36 × 8–20 mm;

rays 3–6(–9), (5–)10–32 cm;

bracts 3–6, horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped, (1–)3–15(–30) cm × 0.5–4.5 mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings 0.5–0.7 mm wide.

40–80, narrowly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, roughly quadrangular to weakly flattened, 5–8 × 1.2–1.5 mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales (1–)2(–3), ascending, brick red, medially greenish, laterally 3–4-ribbed, medially 1–3-ribbed, green, ovate, 2.2–3.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm, apex subacute.

(5–)20–35(–65), linear to oblong (without narrowed basal portion), quadrangular; (2.2–)4–10(–18) × 0.7–1.1 mm;

floral scales persistent, 1–5, appressed, pale greenish white laterally, stramineous with reddish dots, or deep red, greenish or light brown medially, 3–6-ribbed laterally, narrowly ovate to oblong-elliptic, 2.6–3.9 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded to ± acute, entire, mucronulate;

distal scale with glabrous midrib and mucro 0.1–0.3(–0.5) mm;

sterile terminal scale of spikelet only 0.4–0.6 mm wide, involute, frequently uncinate.

anthers (0.7–)1–1.5 mm, filaments 4–4.7 mm;

styles 0.5–0.9 mm;

stigmas 2–3 mm.

anthers (0.3–)0.4–0.6 mm;

styles 0.4–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.9 mm.

brown, ellipsoid to oblong-fusiform, 1.7–1.8 × 0.7 mm, base cuneate, apex subacute and apiculate, surfaces finely puncticulate to glabrous.

light brown to reddish brown, sessile or slightly stipitate, ellipsoid, (1.8–)2–2.4 × 0.6–0.8(–0.9) mm, apex slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.