Flora of North America species comparison

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

trigonous, (10–)20–50 cm × (0.6–)1–2 mm, glabrous or more often scabridulous, either in distal 1/2 or over entire length;

basal sheaths, 1–3, light brown, 1–4 cm, papery.

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

flat to V-shaped, (2–)20–35 cm × 2–6 mm, margins and keel minutely scabridulous;

proximal leaves bladeless.

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 ± umbellate to slenderly (infrequently broadly) ovoid, 10–25 × 7–16 mm;

rays 3–5, 1.5–8(–15) cm;

bracts 3–7, erect (or declined at most 25–30° from vertical), (2.5–)8–20(–25) cm × (0.5–)1.5–6 mm;

rachilla ± deciduous, wingless.

(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.

(1–)5–10(–20), oblong to linear-oblong, quadrangular, 7–10(–18) × (2.8–)3.2–4(–4.5) mm;

floral scales deciduous, (1–)5–10(–14), spreading, laterally stramineous or dull whitish, sometimes also red-spotted, medially green, laterally 2–3-ribbed, medially 3-ribbed, broadly ovate to oblong-ovate, (2.3–)2.8–3.2 × (2–)2.4–3.2 mm, apex broadly rounded, often clear-erose, cusp 0.1–0.4 mm in proximal scales, 0.3–1 mm in distal scales.

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 0.8–1.4 mm;

styles 0.1–0.3 mm;

stigmas 1.5–3 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 to dark brown or nearly black, broadly ellipsoid, infrequently obovoid, 2–2.4 × 0.9–1.4 mm, base cuneate to ± stipelike, apex obtuse to broadly rounded, surfaces papillose.

= 166.