Flora of North America species comparison

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

stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed.

overtopped by culm;

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

ascending, overtopped by inflorescence;

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

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 from distal culm nodes, mostly diffuse clusters of corymbs;

clusters mostly loose;

bracteal leaves usually exceeded by inflorescences.

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.

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 6, some reaching to apex of fruit body.

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

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 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.