Search Results

Information Rhizomes 5–8 mm diam.; scales longer than internodes, disintegrating to fibers. Culms cylindric, 1.5–2.5 m × 4–8 mm. Leaves basal; sheaths often separating from culm, resembling blade, sometimes reddish proximally, front membranous-translucent, splitting, and delicately pinnate-fibrillose, orifice adaxially deeply V-shaped; ligules entire, 1 mm; blades 1–2, thinly C-shaped to thin and dorsiventrally flat in cross section, much shorter to longer than sheath, distal blade to 220 × 5 mm. Inflorescences 2× branched, open, plano- to concavo-convex, to 9 cm; proximal bract usually erect, thickly C-shaped to subterete in cross section, 1–15 cm, margins often scabridulous. Spikelets 5–30, solitary or rarely 2 together, 5–15 × 3–4 mm; scales light orange-brown to nearly colorless, usually obscurely lineolate-spotted, midribs often greenish, ovate-oblong, 3–4 × 1.5 mm, sparsely reddish- or straw-colored-scabrous distally on awn, sometimes midrib, and rarely adjacent parts of sides, margins ciliate, hairs contorted, flanks veinless, apex obtuse, notch 0.5 mm deep, awn straight to slightly contorted, 0.3–1 mm. Flowers: perianth members 4(–5), brown, bristlelike, equaling achene body or adaxial and abaxial much shorter, sparsely retrorsely spinulose; anthers 2 mm; styles 3-fid. Achenes dark gray-brown, compressed-trigonous, obovoid, 2.2–3.2 × 1.4–1.9 mm; beak 0.3–1 mm. 2n = 38.

Information Rhizomes 3–10 mm diam. Culms cylindric, 0.5–3 m × 2–10 mm. Leaves 3–4, basal; sheath fronts membranous-translucent, often pinnate-fibrillose; blades 1–2, C-shaped to dorsiventrally flat in cross section, usually much shorter than sheath, distal blade 2–200 × 1–4 mm, margins often scabridulous. Inflorescences 2–4 times branched, branches to 15(–25) cm; proximal bract usually erect, thickly C-shaped to subterete, 1–8 cm, margins sometimes scabridulous. Spikelets 15–200, solitary or in clusters of 2–4(–7), commonly all solitary, 3–17 × 2.5–4 mm; scales uniformly dark to pale orange-brown, sometimes straw-colored, sometimes prominently lineolate-spotted, midrib often pale or green, ovate, 2–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm, sparsely (rarely densely) reddish or straw-colored, scabrous on awn and distal parts of midrib and sometimes flanks, margins ciliate, hairs contorted; flanks veinless, apex obtuse to rounded, notch 0.2–0.3 mm deep, awn straight or bent, 0.2–0.8 mm. Flowers: perianth bristles 6, brown, ± equaling achene, densely retrorsely spinulose; anthers 2 mm; styles 2-fid, sometimes 3-fid near spikelet apex. Achenes dark gray-brown when ripe, plano-convex, obovoid, 1.5–2.8 × 1.2–1.7 mm; beak 0.2–0.4 mm. 2n = 42.

Information Herbs, perennial or annual, cespitose or not, rhizomatous or not. Culms solitary or not, cylindric to strongly trigonous, smooth, glabrous, spongy with internal air cavities. Leaves basal, rarely 1(–2) cauline; sheaths tubular; ligules membranous, glabrous; blades well developed to rudimentary, cross section dorsiventrally flat to C-shaped or laterally compressed, soft, smooth or margins sometimes distally scabrous or spinulose. Inflorescences terminal, capitate to openly paniculate; spikelets 1–100+; involucral bracts 1–5, leaflike, proximal bract erect to spreading. Spikelets terete, 3–25 × 2–5 mm; scales deciduous, 8+, spirally arranged, each subtending flower, or proximal scale empty (sometimes called a bracteole), floral scales with apex entire or 2-fid, midrib usually prolonged into mucro or awn, smooth or abaxial surface scabrous, margins ciliate. Flowers bisexual (basal flowers pistillate in amphicarpic species); perianth of 0–6(–8) bristles, straight or curved, spinulose, straplike, sometimes fringed with soft, blunt hairs, shorter than to somewhat exceeding achene; stamens 3; anthers 3 mm; styles linear, 2–3-fid, base not or scarcely enlarged, deciduous in fruit. Achenes biconvex to trigonous, with apical beak, faintly to prominently rugose or with transverse wavy ridges, 2.5–3.5 mm including 0.1–2 mm beak.

Information Rhizomes 5–15 mm diam. Culms cylindric, 1–4 m × 2–10 mm. Leaves 3–4, all basal; sheaths often dark reddish proximally, front membranous-translucent and splitting, orifice adaxially deeply V-shaped; blades 1–2, C-shaped to dorsiventrally flat in cross section, usually much shorter than sheath, distal blade 8–120 × 3–7 mm, margins often scabridulous. Inflorescences 2(–3) times branched, open or compact, branches 6(–18) cm; proximal bract usually erect, thickly C-shaped in cross section, 1–9 cm, margins sometimes scabridulous. Spikelets 3–190, solitary or in clusters of 2–8, never all solitary; scales reddish to orange-brown to straw-colored, often variable on same scale, usually wholly or partly straw-colored and prominently lineolate-spotted at 10X, scale or midrib often green when young, ovate, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, sparsely to often densely reddish or straw-colored spinulose-papillose distally or on most of surface, margins ciliate, hairs long, contorted, flanks veinless, apex acute to obtuse, notch 0.3–0.5 mm deep, awn on at least some scales in spikelet usually strongly contorted, 0.5–2 mm (often broken off). Flowers: perianth members (4–)6(–8), brown, bristlelike, equaling achene body or sometimes much shorter, rarely rudimentary, spinulose; anthers 2 mm; styles 2(–3)-fid. Achenes dark gray-brown, plano-convex or rarely weakly trigonous, obovoid, (1.5–)2–3  1.2–1.7 mm; beak 0.2–0.4 mm.