Flora of North America species comparison

60-160 cm, swollen at the base.

1.5-6 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, ovoid to cylindrical, often purplish, often truncate at the base;

branches not evident, spikelets borne singly, not clustered.

homogamous, with 3 florets, terminal floret bisexual;

disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets.

5-8 mm long, 0.9-1.6 mm wide, acute to acuminate, keels not or only narrowly winged distally, wings to 0.2 mm wide, scabrous, lateral veins conspicuous, smooth;

sterile florets 2, equal or subequal, 1.8-3.5 mm, usually more than 1/2 as long as the bisexual florets, densely hairy;

bisexual florets 3.5-5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, sparsely hairy, shiny, stramineous, becoming darker at maturity, apices acute to weakly acuminate;

anthers 3-3.5 mm.

3-5(8) mm, truncate to acute, irregularly erose;

blades 5-35 (40) cm long, 3-12(18) mm wide, smooth.

= 28.