Flora of North America species comparison

ascending-excurved, leafy, ± terete, slender.

stiffly erect, leafy, triangular, multiribbed;

principal leaves overtopped by culm;

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

ascending, overtopped by culm;

blades narrowly linear, proximally flat, 2–3 mm wide, apex trigonous, tapering.

spikelet clusters (1–)2–3, widely spaced, open to dense, broadly to narrowly turbinate, branches ascending to slightly spreading, capillary; leafy bracts setaceous-tipped, overtopping all but distal clusters.

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

bracts often overtopping clusters.

light red-brown, ovoid, 3.5–5 mm, apex acuminate;

fertile scales ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, apex acute, midrib excurrent as cusp or mucro.

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, reaching at most 2/3 length of fruit body, antrorsely barbellate.

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

1–4(–5) per spikelet, 2 mm;

body brown, strongly compressed, obovoid-ellipsoid, 1.4–1.6 × 1–1.2 mm, margins flowing to tubercle;

surfaces finely transversely rugose, intervals with narrow vertical alveolae;

tubercle flat, low-triangular, 0.2–0.3(–0.5) mm.

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.