Flora of North America species comparison

lax, leafy, wandlike, ± terete to obscurely angled, slender.

leafiest at base, trigonous, slender, somewhat stiff.

ascending, exceeded by culms;

blades flat, 4–7(–10) mm wide, apex trigonous, shortacuminate, tapering.

exceeded by culms;

basal blades spreading, blunt, distal ascending, linear, proximally flat, 2–5 mm wide, apex trigonous, subulate, tapering.

spikelet clusters 4–6 or more, equidistant along culm on ascending peduncles, branches capillary, divaricate, clusters loose, diffuse, rounded.

spikelet clusters 3–5 or more, compact, proximalmost widely spaced, turbinate to hemispheric or lobed;

peduncles ascending, branches ascending; leafy bracts setaceous at apex, exceeding compounds, setaceous bracts often exceeding ultimate clusters, imparting bristly aspect.

light brown, ellipsoid to lanceoloid or ovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm, apex acute;

fertile scales ovate, (1.5–)2–3 mm, apex rounded or acute, midrib forming apiculus.

redbrown, ovoid to lanceoloid, (2.7–)3–4 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales ovate, 2.5–3 mm, apex acute, shortacuminate, or notched, midrib usually excurrent as cusp or awn.

perianth bristles 6, longest exceeding tubercle, antrorsely barbellate.

perianth bristles 6, not reaching further than fruit midbody.

2–several per spikelet, 1.3–1.5 mm;

body pale brown, broadly obovoid, tumidly biconvex, 1.1–1.2 × 1–1.1 mm;

surfaces transversely sharply wavyrugulose, intervals with vertical, rectangular, shallow alveolae;

tubercle depressedconic, slightly compressed, 0.2–0.3(–0.4) mm, edges setulose.

1–3 per spikelet, (1.8–)2–2.3(–2.5) mm;

body brown, tumidly lenticular, obovoid to suborbicular, 1.4–1.6(–1.8) × 1.2–1.5 mm;

surfaces transversely sharply rugose, intervals of rows of vertical, variously rectangular alveolae;

tubercle somewhat compressed, triangular to shortconic, 0.5–0.7 mm, shortsubulate, basal rim often present.