Flora of North America species comparison

usually in tufts, erect, slender, 30–60(–70) cm, sometimes appearing weak, glabrous or hairy.

stout, 30–90 cm, base smooth or slightly scabrous distally.

proximal sheaths purple tinged, the distal rosy red-tinged, usually narrowly winged, ribbed, pubescent or glabrous;

contra-ligules ovate;

blades linear, ribbed, shorter than or equaling culms, 2–6 mm wide, glabrous or ciliate to scabrous.

sheaths purple or brownish, tight, smooth or weakly ribbed, narrowly winged, glabrous;

contra-ligules minute, obtuse;

blades linear, keeled, shorter than culms, 1–5 mm wide, rigid, glabrous or slightly scabrous on margins.

axillary and terminal, of 2–5 small clusters, 5–20 × 5–10 mm, each with 1–4 spikelets; the lateral on reddish filiform peduncles dilated toward apex, hairy or scabrous on angles;

bracts subtending inflorescence leaflike, linear-lanceolate, 3–10 cm, glabrous or ciliate.

1–2 cm;

clusters 1, 5–15 mm wide, each with 3–7 spikelets;

bracts subtending inflorescence awl-shaped, 4–15 cm × 1–4 mm.

bisexual and staminate, staminate part frequently reduced in bisexual spikelets, purple tinged, 3–8 mm; staminate scales lanceolate; pistillate scales ovate, acuminate.

bisexual and staminate, 5–10 mm; staminate spikelets many flowered; staminate scales lanceolate, membranous, pistillate scales ovate-acuminate, rigid.

white or grayish or grayish brown with dark longitudinal bands, ovoid, shorter than scales, 3–4 mm, smooth, shining, apex umbonate;

hypogynium golden brown, rather broad, base obtuse-trigonous, supporting 8–9 small, round or elongate, granulose-spiculose tubercles.

dull white or often brownish gray or with dark gray bands, obscurely trigonous, ovoid-globose, 3–4 mm, smooth, often ribbed, base without pores, sides concave between angles, distinctly trigonous, pointed, apex conspicuously mucronate;

hypogynium obsolete, reduced to small brownish ring just distal to pointed base.