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;

blades flat proximally, 3–10(–15) 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, narrow, clusters of corymbs, clusters dense, mostly broadly turbinate, 13–15 mm;

bracteal leaves mostly exceeding subtended compounds.

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.

brown, lanceoloid, 13–15 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales lanceolate, 10–13 mm, apex acuminate, midrib shortexcurrent.

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

longer perianth bristles usually fully 2 times length of fruit body, 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, 20–25 mm;

body pyriformobovoid, compressed, 5–6 × 2.6–3.6 mm;

tubercle attenuate, 2-grooved, (15–)18–20(–21) mm.

= 18.