Flora of North America species comparison

erect or ascending, slender, leafy proximal to middle, somewhat stiff.

arching-ascending, leafy, obtusely trigonous, slender;

principal leaves overtopped by inflorescence;

blades flat, to 3 mm, apex tapering, trigonous.

overtopped by culm;

blades ascending, ± filiform, proximally flat or slightly concave, to 1 mm wide, apex narrowing, trigonous, abruptly blunt.

spikelet clusters 1–2, if 2 then close together, dense, broadly turbinate to hemispheric or even globose;

primary leafy bract setaceous, exceeding clusters.

terminal and axillary, clusters 1–5 or more, compact, turbinate or hemispheric, 1–1.5 cm wide;

peduncles progressively shorter distally on culm;

bracteal leaves mostly exceeding subtended compounds.

redbrown, ovoid, 2–2.5(–4) mm, apex acute;

fertile scales broadly ovate, 1.5–1.9(–2) mm, apex acute to acuminate, midrib excurrent as awn to 0.5 mm.

rich deep brown, rarely pale brown, lanceellipsoid, 3.5–4(–5) mm;

fertile scale elliptic, 2.7–3 mm, apex acute or rounded, midrib shortexcurrent or not.

bristles 6, some reaching to apex of fruit body.

perianth absent.

2–3 per spikelet, 1–1.2(–1.4) mm;

body dull dark brown with paler brown center, lenticular, broadly obovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 1 × 0.8 mm, margins narrow, flowing to tubercle;

tubercle nearly equilaterally triangular, 0.2–0.3 mm.

(1–)2–3(–5) per spikelet, (2–)2.5–3 mm;

body redbrown with pale central disc, stipitate, lenticular, obovoid, 1.2–1.5 × 0.7–1(–1.2) mm, margins pale, wirelike, surfaces slick;

tubercle triangular-subulate, (0.8–)1–1.2(–1.6) mm.