Flora of North America species comparison

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

sometimes in tufts, erect, slender, 30–50 cm, wiry, glabrous, trigonous, base somewhat swollen, brown.

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 purplish, wingless, weakly ribbed, glabrous or minutely hirsute;

contra-ligules absent;

blades linear or filiform, shorter than culms, resembling them, strongly keeled, 1–2 mm wide, 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.

terminal, 0.4–1 cm;

fascicles 1, 4–10 mm wide, each with 1–5(–8) spikelets;

bracts subtending inflorescence awl-shaped, 1–9(–11) cm, glabrous, appearing to be continuation of culm.

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, 4–6(–7) mm; staminate scales lanceolate, membranous, pistillate scales ovate-lanceolate, acuminate.

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 light to dark gray, trigonous, ovoid, usually ribbed with 3 ridges extending from base along angles to apex, 2–3 mm, glabrous, base trigonous, pointed, 6-porose with 2 yellowish, granulose pits on each somewhat concave side, apex mucronate;

hypogynium obsolete, reduced to minute brownish ring distal to pointed base.