Flora of North America species comparison

stiffly erect or ascending, leafy-based, triangular, multiribbed.

erect to ascending, leafiest at base, triangular, slender, somewhat stiff.

ascending or erect, crowded toward culm base, shorter, more widely spaced distally, longest overtopping or equaling subtended inflorescences;

principal blades flat, trigonous distally, 4–6 mm wide, apex attenuate, trigonous.

exceeded by culm;

basal blades crowded, spreadingexcurved, distal ascending, linear, proximally flat, 3–5 mm wide, apex trigonous, shortsubulate.

terminal and axillary, compounds of fascicles, nearly umbellate;

clusters hemispheric to nearly capitate, 1.5–2 cm wide; 1 cluster nearly sessile, others on slender rays to 7 cm, sometimes penultimate node with single cluster on peduncle 7–12 cm.

spikelet clusters 3–5, compact, the proximalmost widely spaced, turbinate or lobed to hemispheric; leafy bracts setaceous, mostly overtopping clusters.

light redbrown, lanceoloid, 6–7 mm, apex acute;

fertile scales lance-ovate, 5 mm, apex acute to blunt, midrib shortexcurrent or not.

redbrown, broadly ovoid, 3–3.5(–4) mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales broadly ovate to ± orbiculate, 2–2.5(–3) mm, apex rounded to notched, midrib included or shortexcurrent.

perianth bristles 6, overtopping tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate.

perianth bristles 6, reaching from fruit midbody to tubercle, antrorsely barbellate.

1 per spikelet, (5.5–)6–7 mm;

body obovoid, 3–4 × 2–2.5 mm, margins thick, crimped, surfaces level or concave, minutely pebbled;

tubercle narrowly conic, 2grooved, 3–4 mm, base blunt, stout, capping fruit apex, tip barely exserted.

1–2 per spikelet, (2–)2.5–2.8(–3) mm;

body brownish, broadly obovoid to nearly orbicular, 1.5–2 × 1.5–2 mm;

surfaces strongly transversely wavyrugose, intervals rows of vertical, rectangular alveolae;

tubercle conic-subulate, basal rim flaring above short neck on achene.