Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, trigonous, multiribbed, rather stiff.

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

spikelet clusters 1–3, turbinate to hemispheric, 1.5–3 cm wide; subtending leafy bracts mostly exceeded by distal compound.

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

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

pale brown to nearly white, fusiform, 4–5(–7) mm, apex narrowly acute;

fertile scales elliptic, 3.5–4 mm, apex narrowly acute, midrib excurrent as mucro.

perianth bristles 6, exceeding tubercle, antrorsely barbellate.

perianth bristles (15–)18–20, reaching tubercle tip, retrorsely barbellate.

(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.

1 per spikelet, 2.5–3.2 mm;

body brown with pale center, obovoid distal to short stipe, lenticular, 1.7–2.2 × 0.8–1.5, margins narrow, wirelike, flowing into tubercle edges;

tubercle flat, narrowly triangular-subulate, 0.8–1 mm.

leaves exceeded by culm;

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

leaves overtopped by culm;

blades narrowly linear, proximally flat, (1.5–)2–3.5 mm wide, apex tapering, trigonous.