Flora of North America species comparison

1.5–3 times as wide as thick, 20–100 cm × 0.35–2 mm, firm to hard, wiry, with to 8 subacute ribs, rarely nearly smooth;

some culms arching or decumbent and rooting at tips.

to 2 times wider than thick, 35–60(–70) cm × 0.5–1.3 mm, hard, usually with to 10 blunt ribs, at 20X often finely ridged and minutely granular.

distal leaf sheaths not splitting abaxially, proximally dark red to brown, apex usually reddish.

distal leaf sheaths brown to reddish.

ovoid, 5–17 × 2.5–5 mm, apex acute;

spikelets on stolons rudimentary, non-flowering, proliferous when rooting;

proximal scale empty, amplexicaulous, ovate, 2–4 mm;

subproximal scale with flower;

floral scales 20–40, 2–3 per mm of rachilla, stramineous to medium brown, midrib region paler, ovate, 3.5–6 × 2–3 mm, membranous to cartilaginous, apex entire, rounded to subacute.

3–12 × 3–4 mm;

proximal scale amplexicaulous, 3.5–4 mm, midrib region very broad and fleshy, apex entire;

subproximal scale with a flower;

floral scales 30–40, 8–10 per mm of rachilla, orange-brown to stramineous, midrib region stramineous, broadly ovate, papery or sometimes membranous, 3–4 × 2 mm, apex entire, rounded.

perianth bristles brown, equaling achene or tubercle, densely spinulose;

anthers brown, 2–2.4 mm.

perianth bristles present, sometimes rudimentary, brown, length variable, obscurely retrorsely spinulose;

anthers brown, 1.7–2.2 mm.

often very variable within one plant, ovoid to obovoid or obpyriform, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.2 mm, beak to 1 × 0.6 mm.

subdeltoid in outline, sometimes broadly obpyriform, equilaterally trigonous, angles prominent, 0.9–1.2 × 0.7–1.1 mm, apex truncate.

when present pale to dark brown, pyramidal, to 0.5 × 0.3 mm.

sessile, depressed-pyramidal, often apiculate, as wide as achene, 0.3–0.5 × 0.7–1.1 mm.