Flora of North America species comparison

often ascending or arching, quadrangular or broadly elliptic, 2–40 cm × 0.1–0.4(–0.6) mm, soft.

20–35 cm × 0.3–1 mm.

distal leaf sheaths persistent or disintegrating, pale brown, green or red-brown, streaked or mottled red-brown or purple, translucent, membranous, apex narrowly acute.

apex of distal leaf sheath subacute to narrowly acute, tooth to 0.3(–1.1) mm.

basal spikelets absent; often proliferous, ovoid to ellipsoid or lanceoloid, terete, 2–10.7 × 1–2 mm, apex acute;

proximal scale empty, persistent, amplexicaulous, dissimilar to floral scales, often longer, often resembling an involucral bract, ovate to lanceolate, midrib markedly thickened and broad and often prolonged beyond lamina;

subproximal scale with flower;

floral scales spiraled, colorless, whitish, or pale brown, streaked or mottled red-brown or purple, midribs green and red-brown or green and purple, ovate to elliptic, 0.8–1.5 × 0.4–0.8 mm, membranous, midrib obscure to prominent.

narrowly lanceoloid, 3–12 × (1–)2–2.5(–4) mm, apex acute;

floral scales 25–100, 10–12 per mm of rachilla, orangebrown to stramineous, ovate, 1.5–2 × 1 mm, midribs mostly keeled, apex acute or narrowly rounded in proximal part of spikelet.

perianth bristles present or sometimes apparently absent;

stamens 3;

anthers 0.15–0.35;

styles 3-fid.

perianth bristles 6–7, brown, stout, the longest equaling or exceeding tubercle;

stamens 2–3;

anthers brown, 0.3 mm;

styles 2-fid.

whitish to olive or pale brown, sometimes spotted olive or red-brown, obovoid, trigonous (or subterete), angles prominent, 0.55–0.8 × 0.3–0.5 mm, apex constricted proximal to tubercle, smooth.

0.9–1.1 × 0.6–0.8 mm.

green or pale brown to red-brown, trigonous.

deltoid, 0.25–0.5 × 0.5–0.7 mm, 1/2–2/3 as high as wide, 1/4–1/2 as high and 2/3–4/5 as wide as achene.

= 10.