Flora of North America species comparison

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

nodes frequently with axillary bulblets.

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

nodes without 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.

7–11 per culm;

sheaths of proximal leaves light brown or whitish;

proximal sheaths and blades with septa few to many, conspicuous or not;

blades 30–63 cm × 9–14 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.

terminal, rarely also with 1 lateral inflorescence from distal leaf axil;

rays ascending or divaricate (usually both in same inflorescence), proximal branches smooth, distal branches smooth or scabrellous, rays often bearing axillary bulblets;

bases of involucral bracts green or margins brown or at least speckled with red-brown, 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.

in dense clusters of 3–19 (largest cluster with 12 or more), spikelets sessile, ovoid or broadly ovoid, 3–4 × 2–3 mm;

scales blackish with pale midribs, elliptic or broadly elliptic, 1.3–1.9 mm, apex mucronate, mucro 0.1–0.2 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.

perianth bristles persistent, 6, slender, straight or curved, shorter than to slightly exceeding achene, with retrorse, thin-walled, round-tipped barbs in distal 0.2–0.5, 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.

almost white, elliptic or obovate in outline, plano-convex or plumply trigonous, 1–1.2 × 0.4–0.6 mm.

= 28.

= 54.