Flora of North America species comparison

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

leafiest at base, trigonous, slender, somewhat stiff.

overtopped by culm;

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

exceeded by culms;

basal blades spreading, blunt, distal ascending, linear, proximally flat, 2–5 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.

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

primary leafy bract setaceous, exceeding clusters.

spikelet clusters 3–5 or more, compact, proximalmost widely spaced, turbinate to hemispheric or lobed;

peduncles ascending, branches ascending; leafy bracts setaceous at apex, exceeding compounds, setaceous bracts often exceeding ultimate clusters, imparting bristly aspect.

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, ovoid to lanceoloid, (2.7–)3–4 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales ovate, 2.5–3 mm, apex acute, shortacuminate, or notched, midrib usually excurrent as cusp or awn.

bristles 6, some reaching to apex of fruit body.

perianth bristles 6, not reaching further than fruit midbody.

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.

1–3 per spikelet, (1.8–)2–2.3(–2.5) mm;

body brown, tumidly lenticular, obovoid to suborbicular, 1.4–1.6(–1.8) × 1.2–1.5 mm;

surfaces transversely sharply rugose, intervals of rows of vertical, variously rectangular alveolae;

tubercle somewhat compressed, triangular to shortconic, 0.5–0.7 mm, shortsubulate, basal rim often present.