Flora of North America species comparison

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

tufted or close together, erect to leaning, smooth except in inflorescence.

mostly sheath;

principal blades cusplike, thickened, rarely over 4 mm.

proximal sheaths hispid-hirsute, median smooth, distal progressively shorter, smoother;

principal blades toward midculm, linear to lance-linear, flat, 5–15 cm, smooth to sparsely strigose or puberulent, margins proximally or entirely spreading, hispid-ciliate.

strictly terminal;

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

in clusters of terminal spikelets or from 1–2(–3) penultimate nodes, proximalmost involucral bract exceeding peduncle and cluster, distalmost shorter.

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.

ovoid to cylindric, 10–15(–20) mm;

fertile scales 3–3.5 mm;

cusp excurved, length of scale;

median ribs 3, strong.

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.

perianth bristles incurved, mostly shorter than perianth stipe, mostly smooth;

perianth blades short-oblong, ± equal to stipes, apex acute, strongly incurved, thickened distally, sometimes apiculate;

anthers 3, 1–1.3 mm.

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

beak narrow, linear, distally papillate or scabridulous.

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

beak linear, hispidulous at dilated tip.

= 46.

= 46.