Flora of North America species comparison

mostly lax, ascending to leaningexcurved, leafy, linear to filiform, terete.

erect or excurved, linear, leafy, trigonous, slender.

shorter than culm;

blades ascending, filiform to narrowly linear, proximally flat, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) mm wide, margins distally strongly involute, apex trigonous, tapering.

slightly to much exceeded by culm;

blades ascending, narrowly linear, proximally flat, 1–3 mm wide, apex trigonous, tapering gradually, setaceous.

spikelet clusters 1–3(–4), proximalmost distant, dense to sparse, narrowly turbinate to hemispheric;

peduncles and branches ascending; leafy bracts linearsetaceous, mostly overtopping clusters.

terminal;

spikelet single, terminal cluster of spikelets crowded, hemispheric, 2.5 cm wide; leafy bracts linearsetaceous, much exceeding cluster.

redbrown, ovoid to lanceoloid, (3.5–)4–5 mm, apex acute;

fertile scales ovate, 3–4.5 mm, apex acute, mucronate to awnedcuspidate.

whitish to tan, narrowly lanceoloid, (3.5–)4–5.5 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales lanceolate, 3.5–4(–4.5) mm, apex narrowly acute, minutely awned or apiculate.

bristles 6, mostly reaching tip of tubercle or beyond, antrorsely barbellate.

bristles vestigial or obsolete.

1–3 per spikelet, (2.5–)3–3.5(–4.1) mm;

body dark brown with small pale center, lenticular, broadly ellipsoid to suborbicular, 1.3–2.1 × 1.3–1.5 mm, smooth, margins narrow, flowing into tubercle;

tubercle triangular-subulate, compressed, mostly 1.5–2 mm.

1 per spikelet, (1.9–)2–2.3 mm;

body brown with pale center, lenticular, broadly ellipsoid, 1.5–2 × 1.5 mm, margins flowing to tubercle;

surfaces longitudinally finely striate;

tubercle depressedtriangular, 0.2–0.3(–0.4) mm.