Flora of North America species comparison

present or absent, horizontal and long or ascending and caudexlike, 0.3–0.5 mm thick, scales usually evident, without tubers.

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.

terete to angled, sometimes compressed, to 100 cm × 5 mm.

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

distal leaf sheaths persistent, rarely disintegrating, membranous to papery.

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.

to 40 × 7 mm;

floral scales 5–500+ per spikelet.

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

anthers brown, 2–2.4 mm.

anthers 0.2–2.5 mm;

styles 2-fid or 3-fid.

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.

variously colored, biconvex to trigonous, 0.4–2 mm, smooth to markedly sculptured at 10X.

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

usually clearly different from achene apex in color, texture, and form, rarely merging with apex.