Flora of North America species comparison

erect to excurvedascending, narrowly linear to ± filiform, terete to obscurely trigonous, leafy, densely so toward base, stiff to rather lax.

stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed.

overtopped by culm;

blades linear, ascending, proximally flat, 1–4 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering gradually.

ascending, overtopped by inflorescence;

principal leaves flat proximally, 3–12 mm wide, apex attenuate, trigonous.

spikelet clusters 1–3(–4), proximal mostly widely spaced, dense, broadly turbinate to hemispheric, to 2 cm broad; leafy bracts subulate, exceeding proximal spikelets, slightly or not exceeding most distal clusters.

terminal and axillary from distal culm nodes, mostly diffuse clusters of corymbs;

clusters mostly loose;

bracteal leaves usually exceeded by inflorescences.

redbrown, narrowly ovoid, (3–)3.5–5 mm, apex acute;

fertile scales ovate, 3–3.5(–4) mm, apex acute, mostly with cusp or mucro 0.5–1 mm.

red-brown or orangish tint, lanceoloid, 13–18 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales lance-ovate, 10–13 mm, apex acute to acuminate, midrib short-excurrent, minutely scabrous.

bristles 5–6, from rudimentary to reaching tubercle tip, or (rarely) beyond, antrorsely barbellate.

longer perianth bristles extending from near tubercle base to 3 mm beyond, antrorsely barbellate.

1–3 per spikelet, (1.5–)2–2.2(–2.5) mm;

body dark brown with pale center, lenticular, broadly ellipsoid to ± orbicular, (1.3–)1.5–1.7(–1.9) × 1–1.5 mm, margins pale, narrow or narrowly rounded, flowing to tubercle;

surfaces dull, minutely longitudinally striate;

tubercle compressed, triangular to triangularsubulate, 0.5–0.7(–0.9) mm.

1–2 per spikelet, 15–24 mm;

body pyriform-obovoid, compressed, 4–5 × 2.8–3.5 mm, margins thick;

surfaces concave, finely transversely striate, minutely cancellate;

tubercle abruptly subulate, 2-grooved, 11–20 mm.