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.

erect, markedly spirally twisted, markedly obliquely contracted near spikelet, when dry often with to 6 broad, rounded ridges on each side, greatly compressed, 3–4 times as wide as thick, 20–40 cm × 1.5–2.5 mm, firm;

culm tufts not proximally bulbous.

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

distal leaf sheaths stramineous to medium (or dark) brown, papery, apex often dark brown to reddish, broadly obtuse.

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.

6–8 × 2–3 mm;

proximal scale empty, 3–4 mm, shorter than to equaling spikelet;

floral scales 8–10 per spikelet, 3.5–5 × 2 mm.

perianth bristles present or sometimes apparently absent;

stamens 3;

anthers 0.15–0.35;

styles 3-fid.

bristles 0–5, unequal, rudimentary to equaling achene, the shorter stout, smooth or nearly so, the longer slender, densely spinulose.

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.

stramineous to medium brown, thickly trigonous, 1.75–2.75 × 1–1.25 mm;

beak 0.3–0.6 mm.

green or pale brown to red-brown, trigonous.

0.25–0.6 × 0.3–0.55 mm.

1.8 –3 mm.