Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, base thickened, tuberous, 15–40 cm × 2–2.6 mm, glabrous.

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

flat to V-shaped, 10–30 cm × (3–)4–5.8 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.

spike 1, densely oblong to ellipsoid, 10–20 × 10–20 mm;

rays 4–12, 10–20 cm bracts 3–6, horizontal to ascending at 30°, V-shaped, 3–15 cm × (3–)4(–5.8) mm;

rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.5–0.7 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.

(5–)10–20(–30), linear to oblong, quadrangular, (2.2–)4–12(–16) × 0.7–1.2 mm, densly packed on rachis with 11–21 spikelets per 5 mm rachis;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, 1–5, appressed, laterally whitish to reddish brown, medially green, narrowly oblong to ovate, laterally 3–6-ribbed, 2.4–3.4 × 1.6–2 mm, apex rounded to ± acute, entire, mucronate, mucro 0.1–0.3 mm;

sterile terminal scale, involute, only 0.4–0.6 mm wide with mucro 0.2–0.5 mm.

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 (0.3–)0.4–0.7 mm;

styles 0.4–0.5 mm;

stigmas 0.5–0.9 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.

light brown, sessile to slightly stipitate, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid to narrowly obovoid, 1.4–1.9 × 0.5–0.75 mm, apex slightly apiculate, surfaces puncticulate.