Flora of North America species comparison

nearly distichous, spreading to ascending, 1/2 length of culms;

sheath margins entire, backs smooth to pubescent;

ligule present, complete;

blades narrowly linear, proximally flat, 2–3.5(–4) mm wide, margins scabrid-ciliate, abaxial surface sometimes pubescent.

erect or ascending, 1/2–2/3 plant height, bases of leaves hard, leathery, usually dark brown or castaneous;

sheaths distally bristly-ciliate, backs chestnut brown, glabrous;

ligule absent;

blades narrowly linear, 1–2(–3) mm wide or thick, mostly strongly involute or adaxially deeply sulcate, margins scabridulous, surfaces glabrous.

anthelae simple or compound, longer than wide;

scapes wandlike, nearly terete or slightly compressed, distally 1 mm thick, marginal ribs scabrid;

longest primary involucral bract shorter than panicle.

anthelae mostly compound, ascending-branched, longer than broad;

scapes wandlike, narrowly linear, 1.5–2(–3) mm thick, distally round or slightly compressed;

proximalmost leafy involucral bract mostly shorter than anthela or equaling it, rarely slightly longer.

pale dull brown, lance-ovoid to cylindric-ellipsoid, 10–12 mm;

fertile scales ovate, 3.5–4 mm, apex broadly acute, ciliate, surface uniformly puberulent, midrib excurrent as mucro or cusp.

chestnut brown to dull brown, ellipsoid, ovoid, or cylindric, 5–20 mm;

fertile scales broadly ovate to nearly orbiculate, 3.5–4.5 mm, apex rounded, sometimes ciliolate, midrib reaching tip or excurrent as short mucro.

stamens 3;

styles 2-fid, flat, fimbriate.

stamens 2–3;

styles 2-fid, flat, fimbriate.

dark brown, lenticular-obovoid, 1.5 mm, finely cancellate, with 20 or more longitudinal rows of horizontally rectangular pits per side.

lustrous brown, lenticular-obovoid or obpyriform, 1.5–2 mm, appearing striate, with many fine, vertical lines of isodiametric pits.

= 20.

= 20.