Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous or ± terete, (3–)20–45(–70) cm × (0.8–) 1.2–2 mm, glabrous.

trigonous, (1–) 20–40(–75) cm × 1–1.5(–2.5) mm, glabrous.

(2–) 6–10(–16), flat to V-shaped, (2–) 10–30(–60) cm × 1–4 mm.

inversely W-shaped, 10–40(–70) cm × (1–)3–6(–10) mm.

spike 1, loosely ovoid to densely turbinate, 12–40 × 10–25 mm;

rachis 3–10 mm;

rays 1–8(–12), 0.5–3(–6) cm; 2d order rays absent;

if rays absent, inflorescence single dense cluster of spikelets, 12–40 mm diam.;

bracts (3–)4–6(–7), horizontal to ascending at 45°, flanged V-shaped, (2–)5–15(–23) cm × 1–4 mm.

spikes 1(–3), broadly and loosely ovoid to oblong-ellipsoid, (15–)20–30(–50) × 20–30(–45) mm;

bracts (3–)5–7(–10), ascending at 30(–45)°, inversely W-shaped, 10–30(–50) cm × (1–)3–5(–11) mm;

rays (2–)3–6(–12), (1–)3–10(–17) cm;

rachilla deciduous, wings ca. 0.3 mm wide.

(5–)15–30(–40), spreading to appressed-ascending, linear-lanceoloid to linear, compressed, 8–18(–40) × (1–)1.3–1.6(–2) mm;

floral scales (8–)12–25(–66), laterally stramineous to light brown, medially green, laterally ribless, medially 3–5-ribbed, oblong, (1.5–)1.8–2.4 × (1–)1.2–1.4 mm, apex acute to ± acute, mucronate.

(10–)25–50(–100), ± terete, (appearing compressed due to excurved apices of floral scales), (8–)12–15(–24) × (0.8–)1.1–1.4(–1.8) mm;

floral scales persistent, (4–)6–8(–14), golden brown, off-white to stramineous, densely red-glandular punctate, green medially, 3–4-ribbed laterally, 3–5-ribbed medially, oblong-lanceolate, (3.2–)4–4.5 × 1.2–1.6 mm, apex blunt, mucronulate to mucronate, mucro 0.2–0.5 mm;

proximal scales mucronulate, distal scales mucronate;

terminal scale conduplicate.

stamens 2;

anthers (0.4–)0.5–0.8 mm, connective not prolonged;

styles 0.6–1(–1.4) mm;

stigmas (1–)1.4–2 mm.

anthers 0.5–0.8(–1.4) mm;

styles 0.8–1 mm;

stigmas 1–2 mm.

light to dark brown, oblong, (0.8–)0.9–1.1(–1.2) × 0.4–0.5(–0.6) mm, base cuneate to ± stipelike, apex truncate, apiculate, surfaces punctate to minutely punctate with raised cells.

brown, ± sessile to stipitate, oblong-ellipsoid, 1.7–2 × 0.6–0.7 mm, 0.1(–0.2) × 0.2 mm, apex rounded, apiculate from dark purple style base, surfaces papillose.