Flora of North America species comparison

not rooting at tips, terete, 10–40 cm, soft to firm, smooth.

sometimes ascending, subterete, elliptic, or polygonal, (1–)3–7.5(–9) cm × 0.2–0.5 mm, very soft.

distal leaf sheaths proximally brownish or sometimes reddish, distally stramineous to green.

distal leaf sheaths persistent or disintegrating, colorless, stramineous or green, spotted red-brown to purple, membranous, apex narrowly acute.

ovoid to oblong-subcylindric, 4–12 × 2–3.5 mm, apex acute to rounded;

proximal scale empty, clasping 1/2 of culm, like floral scales;

subproximal 1 or 2 scales often empty;

floral scales 20–100, 10 per mm of rachilla, entirely stramineous or sometimes red-brown, ovate, (1.5–)2–2.5 × 1.5 mm, apex broadly rounded, entire.

basal spikelets absent; never proliferous, ovoid or ellipsoid, terete, 2–4.7(–8.5) × 1–2 mm, apex acute to blunt;

proximal scale empty or with flower, persistent, clasping 1/2 of culm, similar to floral scales (but 1.1–1.7 mm, midrib region broadly green);

subproximal scale with a flower;

floral scales spiraled, 10–30(–100), 10–16 per mm of rachilla, colorless, whitish, or pale brown, mottled red-brown to purple, midribs pale brown or green, ovate or elliptic, 1–1.2 × 0.45–0.6 mm, membranous, midrib prominent, apex rounded.

perianth bristles (5–)6(–8), brown, stout, the longer equaling achene or tubercle, retrorsely spinulose;

stamens 3;

anthers brown, 1 mm.

perianth absent;

stamens 1;

anthers 0.2–0.3 mm;

styles 3-fid.

falling with scales, obovoid, angles keeled, 0.8–1 × 0.7–0.8 mm, apex with short neck.

colorless (appearing green-brown from enclosed seed) or whitish, sometimes spotted red-brown, obovoid, trigonous, angles prominent, 0.5–0.6 × 0.33–0.4 mm, apex constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth.

whitish to brown, mammillate to pyramidal, 0.2–0.3 × 0.3–0.35 mm, 1/3 or less as wide as achene.

white, gray or pale brown, pyramidal or umbonate, trigonous, 0.1–0.15 × 0.15–0.2 mm.