Flora of North America species comparison

trigonous to terete, 20–100 cm × 2–6 mm, soft (flattened in drying), glabrous, often flopping over and rooting at base of rays.

basally cormlike, trigonous, (15–)30–100 cm × 0.5–3.5 mm, glabrous.

blades reduced to sheath.

flat to V-shaped, 10–65 cm × 3–9 mm, adaxial surface, margins minutely scabridulous.

rays 100–250, 5–16 cm; 2d order rays 0.5–5 cm;

bracts 2–3, horizontal or reflexed, 4–12 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

spikes densely globose to globose-ovoid, 8–17 mm wide;

rays 3–12, 2–12 cm, scaberous adaxially especially distally;

rachis 4–8 mm;

bracts (3–)4–7, ascending at 30(–45)°, flat, 5–35 cm × 2–9 mm;

rachilla persistent, wings 0.5–0.7 mm wide.

1–30, linear-lanceoloid, ellipsoid to narrowly ovoid, compressed-quadrangular, 6–17 × 1–1.5 mm;

floral scales 5–12, reddish brown, 1–3-ribbed, 1.2–1.7 × 0.7–0.9 mm, apex mucronulate.

50–100, oblong-lanceoloid, ± terete-quadrangular, (3.5–)4–7 × 1–1.4 mm;

distal spikelet spreading or ascending;

floral scales persistent, 3–5, appressed, stramineous to brownish, 4-ribbed laterally, oblong-elliptic, 3.5–4.5 × 1–1.8 mm, membranous, apex entire or emarginate with mucro to 0.3 mm.

stamens 3;

anthers 1–1.2 mm;

styles 0.3 mm;

stigmas 1–1.3 mm.

anthers 0.4–0.8 mm;

styles 0.5–0.6 mm;

stigmas 1 mm.

brown, obovoid, 0.4 × 0.2 mm, base stipelike to nearly cuneate, apex obtuse, surfaces finely reticulate.

brown, ± stipitate, oblong, (1.5–)1.8–2.3 × 0.5–0.6(–0.7) mm (1/2 length of floral scales), apex obtuse, surfaces puncticulate.