Flora of North America species comparison

2–12(–19) cm × 0.2–0.4 mm.

often ascending, often spotted or streaked red-brown, cross section quadrangular or broadly elliptic, often sulcate, 1.5–8(–25) cm × 0.1–0.3 mm, soft.

distal leaf sheaths firm, distally tightly sheathing, apex acute.

distal leaf sheaths persistent or fugaceous, closely sheathing, not conspicuously wrinkled, colorless or pale brown, sometimes spotted red-brown, delicately membranous, apex narrowly acute.

ovoid to ellipsoid, 2–6(–8) × 1–2.5 mm, apex acute;

proximal scale with or without flower, not amplexicaulous;

floral scales to 100, 15–19 per mm of rachilla, often loosely appressed, dark red-brown to stramineous, ovate to elliptic, 0.6–1.3 × 0.3–0.7 mm, membranous, apex rounded to acute.

basal spikelets absent; never proliferous, ovoid or ellipsoid, laterally compressed or terete, 1.5–3.7 × 0.8–3 mm, apex acute;

proximal scale empty, persistent, amplexicaulous, similar to floral scales;

subproximal scale with a flower;

floral scales distichous (spirodistichous), 8–22, 6–10 per mm of rachilla, colorless or pale brown, mottled red-brown to purple, ovate, (1–)2 × 1 mm, membranous, midribs green and red-brown, prominent, apex rounded to obtuse.

perianth bristles (0–)4–6, typically 4, colorless to whitish, vestigial to 1/2 as long as achene, smooth or spinuliferous;

styles 2-fid.

perianth bristles present or absent, (1–)4, colorless to white, vestigial to shorter than achene, 0–0.55 mm;

spinules not evident at 45X;

stamens (1–)3;

anthers 0.35–0.45 mm;

styles 2-fid (or 3-fid).

black, obovoid, biconvex, 0.3–0.5 × 0.3–0.4 mm, apex often constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth at 40X.

whitish to pale brown, obovoid, biconvex, rarely trigonous, angles prominent, 0.5–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm, apex slightly constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth.

stramineous to whitish, umbonate to subconic, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm, apex acute.

sessile, green or red-brown, pyramidal, birettaform or umbonate, 0.15–0.25 × 0.3–0.4 mm.

= 20.