Flora of North America species comparison

arching or erect, leafy, nearly terete, multiribbed, slender.

lax, erect to ascending-excurved, ± terete, leafy, slender, soft.

exceeded by inflorescence;

blades erect or ascending, linear, proximally flat, 2–4 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.

spikelet clusters 2–6, mostly widely spaced;

clusters dense, hemispheric to mostly spheroid, 0.5–1 cm thick.

spikelet clusters 4–6, widely spaced, loose, broadly to narrowly turbinate, paniculate, branches capillary, ultimate branches with 1 or 2 spikelets; leafy bracts exceeding proximal clusters, setaceous.

dark redbrown to dark brown, lanceovoid, (2–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm, apex acute;

fertile scales elliptic, 2–3 mm, apex acute, midrib shortexcurrent or not.

solitary or in 2s, brown, ovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm;

fertile scales ovate, 1.5–2.2 mm, apex acute, apiculate.

perianth bristles 6, reaching tubercle tip, retrorsely barbellate.

perianth bristles 6, reaching tubercle base or slightly beyond, antrorsely barbellate.

1 per spikelet, 2.5–3 mm;

body pale brown with light center, lenticular, obovoid distal to stipe, 1.1–1.5 × 0.9–1.1 mm, margins pale, wirelike, surfaces slick;

tubercle triangularsubulate, 0.9–1.2(–1.5) mm, at least 0.5 mm wide at base.

2–3 per spikelet, 1.5–1.6(–1.8) mm;

body brown or greenish, obovoid, lenticular, 1.1–1.2(–1.3) × 0.7–1 mm, margins narrow, distinct, sharp, flowing to tubercle;

surfaces finely transversely wavyrugulose, intervals of fine, nearly isodiametric or vertical-rectangular pitlike alveolae;

tubercle lowtriangular, entire, 0.3–0.4 mm.

leaves overtopped by culm;

blades linear, proximally flattened, 1–3 mm wide, apex tapering, trigonous.