Flora of North America species comparison

2–40 cm × 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.

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

apex of distal leaf sheath obtuse to acute, tooth to 0.3 mm.

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

lanceoloid to subcylindric or ovoid, 5–10(–20) × 2–3(–4) mm, apex acute (to rounded);

proximal scale empty, encircling ca. 2/3 of culm;

floral scales 25–100(–200), 8–12 per mm of rachilla, orangebrown to stramineous, 2(–2.5) × 1–1.3 mm, midribs mostly keeled, ovate, apex narrowly rounded to subacute.

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.

perianth bristles present or often absent, 5–8, brown, stout, rudimentary to slightly exceeding tubercle;

stamens (2–)3;

anthers brown to yellow, 0.3–0.7(–1) mm;

styles 2–3-fid.

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

stamens 3;

anthers brown, 1 mm.

0.9–1.1(–1.5) × 0.7–1.1 mm.

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

depressed, subdeltoid, 0.1–0.3(–0.4) × 0.6–0.9(–1) mm, 1/10–2/5 as high as wide, 1/4 or less as high as achene, 9/10 as wide as achene, very rarely 2/5 as high as achene (in E. engelmannii var. robusta).

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

= 10.