Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Herbs, perennial, cespitose, rhizomatous.

Stems: Culms trigonous, 20–100 cm × 0.8–2.5 mm, glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Leaves 5–10, V–shaped to flanged V–shaped, 10–70(–90) cm × 2–7 mm. Surfaces of margins and midribs scabridulous or glabrous. Margins entire. Sheathing. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences: spikes 1(–6), densely cylindric, 6–30 × 5–11 mm; rays 3–12, 0.4–5(–7) cm; rays and rachis glabrous; usually only 1–2 spikes of inflorescence on elongate rays, other spikes sessile or nearly so; bracts 4–7, horizontal to slightly ascending, 1–16 cm × 0.5–4 mm; rachilla deciduous, wings persistent, 0.5 mm wide. spikelets 20–80, ellipsoid, roughly quadrangular, 3–5 × 1–1.4 mm; floral scales 1–2(–4), appressed, stramineous to golden brown, often red–speckled, medially greenish, 9–ribbed, elliptic to ovate, 2.4–3.4 × 1.8–2.6 mm, apex obtuse. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 3; anthers 0.4–0.6 mm. Ovary superior; styles 0.7–1.1 mm; stigmas 1.4–2.1 mm.

Fruit: Achenes dark brown to reddish brown; sessile; broadly ellipsoid; 1.8–2.1 × 0.8–1 mm; apex apiculate; surfaces glabrous to finely puncticulate. Seeds 1; seed coat thin; free from pericarp; embryo basal; endosperm abundant.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Dry roadsides; pastures; thickets.

Elevation Range: 0–500 m.