Flora of North America species comparison

subcylindric, 0.2–1.5 m × 0.5–1 mm.

sharply trigonous, sides concave distally, 0.4–1.5 m × 1.5–5 mm.

3–20+, smooth;

sheath fronts sometimes delicately pinnate-fibrillose;

blades 3–20, when erect C-shaped in cross section proximally, elliptic most of length, when submerged usually flaccid and filiform to narrowly ribbonlike, probably longer than sheath, 0.2–1 mm wide.

4–7, nearly equaling culm;

sheath fronts delicately pinnate-fibrillose;

blades 3–6, erect, the distal mostly longer than sheath, 1–2 mm, wide, proximally thickly V-shaped central region trigonous-channeled to laterally flattened, apically asymmetically laterally flattened-trigonous;

apex often markedly eccentric, glabrous, smooth or angles papillose.

a solitary, erect spikelet;

proximal bract erect, like stiff leaf blade, 7–60 mm.

capitate or 1 spikelet;

proximal bract erect, resembling leaf blade, 3–20 cm.

5–15 × 3–7 mm;

scales pale brown, or central region green when young, ovate-lanceolate, 4–6 × 1.5 mm, smooth, margins sometimes ciliolate apically at 40X, midrib obscure, apex acute, entire, minutely mucronate.

1–4, 7–18 × 3–5 mm;

scales straw-colored to orange-brown or central region greenish, ovate-lanceolate, 4–5 × 2.5 mm, margins entire, smooth or awn sparsely spinulose, sometimes distally ciliolate at 40X, apex acute, mucronate, mucro 0.2–0.5 mm.

perianth members 6, brown, bristlelike, from 1/2 of to equaling achene beak, spinulose;

anthers 2–3.5 mm;

styles 3-fid.

perianth members 6, brown, bristlelike, equaling to slightly exceeding achene, spinulose;

anthers 2–3 mm;

styles 3-fid.

brown, strongly trigonous, obovoid to obpyriform, (2.5–)3–3.5 × 1.5–1.7 mm;

beak 0.3–0.8 mm.

brown, compressed trigonous, ovoid to obovoid, 3.5–4.5 × 1.7–2 mm;

beak 0.5–1 mm.

= 72.

= 70.