Flora of North America species comparison

erect to excurved, filiform, leafy, ± terete.

lax, erect to ascending-excurved, ± terete, leafy, slender, soft.

shorter than culm;

blades ascending, filiform, proximally to 1.5(–2)mm wide, apex trigonous, tapering, setaceous.

exceeded by inflorescence;

blades erect or ascending, linear, proximally flat, 2–4 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.

lateral spikelet clusters (0–)1–2, distant, terminal cluster ellipsoid to broadly turbinate or hemispheric, branches ascending; leafy bracts setaceous, overtopping clusters.

spikelet clusters 4–6, widely spaced, loose, broadly to narrowly turbinate, paniculate, branches capillary, ultimate branches with 1 or 2 spikelets; leafy bracts exceeding proximal clusters, setaceous.

red-brown to deep brown, lanceoloid, (4–)5–6(–7) mm, apex acute;

fertile scales lanceolate, 4–5(–6) mm, apex acuminate, midrib often excurrent as awn.

solitary or in 2s, brown, ovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm;

fertile scales ovate, 1.5–2.2 mm, apex acute, apiculate.

bristles 5–6, longest reaching at least past tubercle base, mostly to tip or beyond, antrorsely barbellate.

perianth bristles 6, reaching tubercle base or slightly beyond, antrorsely barbellate.

2(–3) per spikelet, (2.3–)2.5–2.6(–3) mm with pedicellar joint, receptacle, and tubercle;

body lustrous, pale brown to deep brown, obovoid to ellipsoid, lenticular, 1–1.5 × 1 mm, margins narrow, flowing to tubercle;

surfaces longitudinally finely lined, transversely very finely ridged with wavy rows of very narrow, vertical lattices, sometimes also with lines of shallow pits;

tubercle triangularsubulate, (0.7–)1–1.3(–1.5) mm, base lunate, margins setulose proximally.

2–3 per spikelet, 1.5–1.6(–1.8) mm;

body brown or greenish, obovoid, lenticular, 1.1–1.2(–1.3) × 0.7–1 mm, margins narrow, distinct, sharp, flowing to tubercle;

surfaces finely transversely wavyrugulose, intervals of fine, nearly isodiametric or vertical-rectangular pitlike alveolae;

tubercle lowtriangular, entire, 0.3–0.4 mm.