Flora of North America species comparison

usually present, caudexlike, ascending, 1 mm thick, hidden by crowded culms;

internodes and scales not evident.

often arching, often sering as stolons, broadly elliptic, (4–)7–38(–45) cm × (0.1–)0.3–0.7 mm, soft to firm.

sometimes spirally twisted, usually minutely red-spotted at 30X, acutely triangular or sometimes elliptic, 15–70 cm × 0.3–0.5(–1) mm, soft (to firm), often minutely granular at 10X.

distal leaf sheaths persistent or disintegrating, yellowish to pale brown, sometimes mottled or wholly red-brown, membranaous to papery, apex acute to narrowly obtuse.

distal leaf sheaths persistent, stramineous to green, often minutely red-spotted, membranous to papery, apex subacute to narrowly acute, often with toothlike callus.

basal spikelets absent; usually proliferous, ovoid to ellipsoid to linear or terete, 3.3–9.6 × 1.2–2.3 mm, apex acute;

proximal scale empty, persistent, amplexicaulous, similar to floral scales (usually slightly longer, midrib broadly green);

subproximal scale with a flower;

floral scales spiraled, 5–25, 4–8 per mm of rachilla, pale brown, usually spotted, streaked or mottled red-brown to purple, midribs green or green and red-brown, elliptic to obovate, 1.8–2.7 × 1–1.5 mm, membranous to chartaceous (papery), midrib evident to prominent, apex rounded to obtuse.

basal spikelets absent; never proliferous, ovoid to lanceoloid or ellipsoid, terete, 4–12 × 2–4 mm, apex acute;

proximal scale empty, deciduous, clasping 1/2 of culm, similar to floral scales;

subproximal scale often empty;

floral scales spiraled, 10–25, 5–6 per mm of rachilla, pale orange-brown, midrib regions broadly pale green to colorless, broadly ovate, 2–2.5(–3.5) × 1.5–2 mm, central area and often flanks papery to cartilaginous or sometimes membranous, midrib evident, apex subacute (to rounded).

perianth bristles 5–6, red-brown (proximally often white), shorter than to equaling tubercle, rarely longer, 0.9–1.3(–2) mm;

spinules sparse, retrorse, sharply acute;

stamens 3;

anthers yellow, 0.8–1.8 mm;

styles 3-fid.

perianth bristles 4–6, bright brown, stout, equaling to slightly exceeding tubercle;

spinules dense, retrorse, sharply acute;

stamens 3;

anthers 0.5–0.9 mm;

styles 3-fid.

gray or greenish, obovoid or obpyriform, trigonous, angles very prominent, 0.6–0.9 × 0.55–0.8 mm, apex constricted proximal to tubercle, finely honeycomb-reticulate at 10–20X, each face with 20 or more rows of evident enlarged cells.

medium brown or yellowish or greenish, obpyriform, obtusely (often obscurely) compressed trigonous, angles evident, 1.2–1.7(–2.4) × 0.9–1.2(–2.2) mm, apex constricted proximal to tubercle, coarsely cancellate at 10X, each face with 8–10 longitudinal rows of distinctly depressed, enlarged cells.

whitish, gray, brown, or greenish black, pyramidal, trigonous, 0.2–0.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm.

brown to greenish (or bone-white), pyramidal, trigonous or cross section plano-convex, 0.3–0.7(–1) × 0.3–0.6(–0.9) mm, distinctly shorter or narrower than achene, apex acute, often acuminate.