Flora of North America species comparison

polystichous, mostly spreading to ascending;

sheath margins entire;

ligule present, complete;

blades narrowly linear, to 1 mm wide, flat to shallowly involute, margins distantly scabrid, surface glabrous.

nearly distichous, 1/2 to equal length of culms;

sheaths bristlyciliate apically, backs glabrous or hirtellous;

ligule present, complete;

blades narrowly linear, 1–1.5(–2) mm wide, flat to shallowly involute, margins ciliate-scabrid, adaxial and abaxial surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

spikelets 1, terminal or 2–3 in simple anthela longer than broad, laterals subsessile;

scapes narrowly linear, coarsely ribbed, distally compressed;

involucral bracts usually 1 per spikelet, exceeding or exceeded by it.

anthelae simple or compound, mostly open, diffuse, ascending-branched, longer than broad;

scapes slender, 1 mm thick, angular;

proximalmost involucral bract longer or shorter than anthela.

yellowish, mostly turgidly ovoid, 5–8 mm;

fertile scales broadly ovate, 2–3 mm, apex obtuse, entire, midrib excurrent or not.

tan to brown or redbrown, ovoid to lance-ovoid, 3–8 mm;

fertile scales broadly oblong to ovate, 2 mm, acute to obtuse-angled, smooth, midrib reaching apex or excurrent as mucro.

stamens 3, styles 2-fid, flattened, fimbriate.

stamens 1(–2);

styles 2-fid, flat, fimbriate.

near white to pale brown, lenticular-obovoid to obpyriform, 2 mm, appearing smooth under 10–20X magnification, under higher power finely longitudinally ribbed, with fine, isodiametric pits in vertical lines.

white to brown, often iridescent, lenticular or obovoid to pyriform-obovoid, 1 mm, cancellate, with 5–12 longitudinal ribs per side, alternating with as many rows of horizontally rectangular pits;

warts of achene more usually distributed, or achene (rarely) smooth.

= 10.

= 30.