Flora of North America species comparison

fertile ones lax, reclining, inflorescences lopping over to (or nearly to) ground;

nodes frequently with axillary bulblets.

10–18 per culm;

proximal leaf sheaths green or brownish;

proximal sheaths and blades with septa few, inconspicuous;

blades 16–55 cm × 4–8 mm.

terminal;

rays divergent, proximal rays smooth, pedicels and distal rays scabrous, rays often bearing axillary bulblets;

bases of involucral bracts green or brownish, not glutinous.

in open cymes, central spikelet of each cyme sessile, others long-pedicellate, spikelets cylindric to narrowly ovoid, 4–14 × 1–2 mm;

scales light brown to reddish with broad green midribs, broadly ovate or elliptic, 1.2–1.8 mm, apex rounded to obtuse, apiculate, or sometimes short-mucronate, apiculus or mucro (if present) to 0.1 mm.

perianth bristles persistent, 6, stout, contorted, equaling or longer than achene, not projecting beyond it, with delicate, round-tipped, retrorse teeth in distal 1/2, enclosed within scales;

styles 3-fid.

off-white to yellowish brown, elliptic-obovate in outline, strongly trigonous with very strong angles and concave sides, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.8 mm.

= 28.