Flora of North America species comparison

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

arching, leafy, droopingtipped, ± terete, ribbed, slender.

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.

clusters of spikelets 3–6, progressively wider-spaced proximally, narrow, elongate; leafy bracts slender, mostly exceeding clusters.

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.

redbrown, lanceoloid, 5–7 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales narrowly ovate, 4–5 mm, apex acuminate, midrib included or shortexcurrent.

bristles 6, some reaching to apex of fruit body.

perianth bristles 6, exceeding tubercle, 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–)2–3(–4) per spikelet, 3–3.2 mm;

body brown, narrowly oblong-ellipsoid, flattened, 2 × 0.8–1 mm;

surface strongly transversely wavyrugose, vertically finely striate between ridges;

tubercle compressed, narrowly triangular-subulate, 1 mm.

leaves exceeded by culm;

blades spreading to ascending, narrowly linear, proximally flat, 2–3.5 mm wide, apex trigonous, tapering.