Flora of North America species comparison

to 45 cm × 0.2–1 mm.

3–50(–90) cm × 0.2–2 mm.

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

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

orbicular to ovoid, 1–9 × 1–4 mm, apex rounded to acute;

proximal scale without flower, not amplexicaulous;

floral scales to 125, 11–14 per mm of rachilla, tightly appressed, dark red-brown to stramineous, ovate to elliptic, 0.8–3 × 0.6–2(–2.3) mm, membranous to cartilaginous, apex rounded to acute.

broadly ovoid (to ellipsoid or lanceoloid), apex rounded (to acute), (2–)5–13 × (2–)3–4 mm;

floral scales 15–150+, 8–20 per mm of rachilla, orange-brown (to stramineous), elliptic, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm, midribs seldom keeled, apex broadly rounded.

perianth bristles (0–)4–8, typically 7, red-brown, rarely whitish, vestigial to much exceeding tubercle, typically equaling achene, spinules few to dense;

styles 2-fid.

perianth bristles (5–)6–7, rarely 0, brown, stout, slightly to usually greatly exceeding tubercle;

stamens usually 3;

anthers brown to yellow, 0.3–0.6 mm;

styles usually 3-fid and 2-fid in same spikelet.

brown ripening to black, biconvex, orbicular to obpyriform, 0.5–1.1 × 0.3–0.7 mm, apex rarely constricted proximal to tubercle, very finely reticulate at 40X.

0.9–1.2(–1.3) × 0.7–0.9 mm.

stramineous to whitish, umbonate to subconic, 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.5 mm, apex rounded to acute.

deltoid 0.35–0.5 × (0.4–)0.5–0.8 mm, 1/3–2/3 as high as wide, 1/3–1/2 as high and 2/3–9/10 as wide as achene.

= 10.

= 10.