Flora of North America species comparison

stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed.

erect, trigonous, multiribbed, rather stiff.

erect, distal ones overtopping inflorescence;

principal blades flat proximally, trigonous distally, 3–10 mm wide, apex attenuate.

terminal and axillary, clusters of corymbs (1–)2–3, open, spikelet clusters loose;

bracteal leaves mostly overtopping corymbs.

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

pale redbrown, narrowly lanceoloid, (9–)11–14 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales lanceolate, 9–13 mm, apex acuminate, midrib shortexcurrent or not.

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 5–6, extending at least 5 mm beyond tubercle base, antrorsely barbellate.

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

1–2 per spikelet, 15–20 mm;

body stipitate, obovoid to oblong, compressed, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, margins thick;

surfaces concave, horizontally finely striate, minutely cancellate;

tubercle stoutbased, grooved, subulate, 10–15 mm, setulose.

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 overtopped by culm;

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