Flora of North America species comparison

erect or spreading, slender, stiff.

spaced along rhizome, erect, slender, wandlike, subterete, nodes swollen.

sheaths hirsute;

principal blades linear to lance-linear, 5–12 cm, hirsute-hispid-ciliate, surfaces strigose-hispid or glabrous.

mostly sheath;

principal blades cusplike, thickened, rarely over 4 mm.

in solitary terminal clusters or several terminal clusters, less often from proximal 1–2 nodes, principal involucral bract mostly exceeding compound or cluster.

strictly terminal;

spikelets 1 or 2–5, sessile in clusters, exceeding short-linear subtending bract.

lance-ovoid to cylindric, 5–8(–12) mm, apex acute;

fertile scales oblong to obovate, 2.5–3 mm;

cusp excurved, nearly length of scale, scabridulous;

median ribs 3, strong.

ovoid to lance-ovoid, 7–10(–15) mm, apex blunt;

fertile scales ovate to obovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, ciliate;

mucro erect, 1/2 or less length of scale;

median ribs mostly 5.

perianth bristles extending at least to base of perianth blades, often near to tips, retrorsely barbellate;

perianth blades long-clawed, mostly ovate, base 3–5-ribbed, apex slenderly acuminate, incurved, awned;

anthers 1–3, 0.5–0.7 mm.

perianth bristles equaling or slightly longer than perianth stipes, retrorsely barbellate;

perianth blades ovate, as long as claws, 2–2.5 mm, base thinner, 3-ribbed, apex compressed-conic, apiculate;

anthers linear-oblong, 2 mm.

stipe slender;

body angles wirelike, faces lustrous, deep brown to red-brown, 1 mm;

beak slender, stiff, tip papillate.

body angles pale, wirelike, faces lustrous red-brown or chestnut brown, 1 mm;

beak narrow, linear, distally papillate or scabridulous.

= 46.

= 46.