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.

erect with arching tops, leafy, obscurely trigonous, slender.

overtopped by culm;

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

overtopped by inflorescence;

blades linear, proximally flat, 3–5 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.

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.

spikelet clusters mostly 4–6, various in shape and crowding, narrowly to broadly turbinate;

peduncles erect, branches slender, ascending; leafy bracts exceeding all but most distal clusters.

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.

redbrown, broadly ellipsoid, (1.5–)2–3(–3.5) mm, apex acute;

fertile scales broadly ovate, 2–3 mm, midrib excurrent as apiculus or awn.

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

perianth bristles 6, mostly spreading, usually exceeding tubercle, 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.

2–3(–4) per spikelet, 1.5(–1.7) mm;

body pale brown to brown, strongly flattened, obovoidorbicular, 1–1.2 × 0.8–1.1;

surfaces transversely wavyrugose, intervals vertically striate with very narrowly rectangular alveolae;

tubercle flat, triangular or concavely triangular, 0.3–0.5(–0.7) mm.