Flora of North America species comparison

erect to arching, leafy, linear to filiform, nearly triangular.

stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed;

principal leaves overtopped by culm;

blades flat, 3–20 mm wide, apex attenuate, trigonous.

ascending, overtopped by culm;

blades flat, linear to filiform, to 1.8 mm wide, apex distally involute, trigonous, setaceous.

terminal and axillary, spikelet clusters 2–4, widely spaced, the lowest near plant base;

clusters compact, broadly turbinate to hemispheric, to 1.5 cm wide; leafy bracts curved, setaceous, slightly to greatly overtopping subtended compounds.

terminal and axillary, diffuse clusters of corymbs, fascicles turbinate to hemispheric;

bracts often overtopping clusters.

dark brown, lance-ellipsoid, 2–3 mm;

fertile scales 2 mm, apex acute, midrib short-excurrent or not.

few to several per cluster, brown or reddish brown, lanceoloid, 10–15 mm, apex narrowly acute;

fertile scales broadly lanceolate, (7.5–)10–13(–14) mm, apex acute, midrib shortexcurrent or not.

perianth bristles 6, ± as long as fruit body, retrorsely barbellate.

perianth bristles 5–6, longest reaching to or slightly beyond fruit midbody, antrorsely barbellate.

mostly 2 per spikelet, 1.5–1.9 mm;

body brown with yellowish center, ellipsoid, lenticular distal to short stipe, 1–1.3 × 0.6–0.8 mm;

tubercle triangular, 0.3–0.6 mm, distinctly shorter than fruit body.

1(–2) per spikelet, 13–20(–25) mm;

body oblongellipsoid, compressed, 4–5(–6) × 2–3 mm, base narrowed, short, margins thickened, often crimped, surfaces concave, striate, minutely cancellate or pebbled;

tubercle subulate, 2-grooved, 10–15(–20) mm, scabridulous.

= 18.