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Plants perennial, tufted. Stems 10--40 cm ( 0.6--1.2 mm, rigid to weak. Leaves basal; leaf sheath auricles obtuse, 2--4 mm, margin scarious to broadly so; leaf blade flat, 4--23 cm ( 0.5--1.8 mm, margin often involute. Inflorescences terminal panicles, 3--7 cm, usually lax, 6--40-flowered, rarely flowers in a few clusters; involucral bracts 2, leaflike, 4--18 cm. Bracteoles 2. Perianth segments greenish, lanceolate, 3.5--4 ( ca. 1 mm, subequal or outer ones somewhat longer than inner, margin white scarious, apex long tapered to a sharp point. Stamens 6; filaments ca. 1.2 mm; anthers ca. 0.8 mm. Style shorter than ovary; stigmas ca. 1.6 mm. Capsule trigonous ovoid, shorter than to rarely equaling perianth, apex truncate and shortly mucronate to obtuse. Seeds reddish brown, 0.4--0.5 mm, appendaged; appendage white, short. Fl. Jun--Jul, fr. Aug--Sep. 2 n = 30, 32, 84.
Herbs, perennial, tufted, 1.5--5 dm. Rhizomes densely branching. Culms few--20. Leaves basal, (1--)2--3; auricles 2--5 mm, apex acute, membranous; blade flat, 3--12 cm x 0.5--1 mm, margins entire. Inflorescences 5--40-flowered, borne congested or branch internodes ca. as long as tepals, ssomewhat loose, 1--5 cm; primary bract usually longer than inflorescence. Flowers: bracteoles 2; tepals greenish, lanceolate, 3.3--4.4 mm; outer and inner series nearly equal; stamens 6, filaments 0.5--0.9 mm, anthers 0.1--0.2 mm; style 0.1--0.2 mm. Capsules tan or light brown, 1-locular to pseudo-3-locular, ellipsoid, (3.3--)3.8--4.7 x (1.1--)1.3--1.7 mm, nearly equal to tepals. Seeds tan, ellipsoid to lunate, (0.52--)5.5--0.65(--0.7) mm, not tailed. 2n = 80.
Perennial, grass-like, in stiff tufts (15)-20-60-(90) cm high, often lax if longer. Stems with up to 6 usually basal leaves. Leaves slender but tough, < stems, usually flat; auricles large, tongue-like, 2-4 times as long as broad, membranous, subacute. Inflorescence variable in form and size, strict or diffuse with unequal branches, the longest to 12 cm, subtending bracts 1-several, slender, leaf-like, usually much > inflorescence. Flowers sessile, in clusters of 2-3 or borne singly but contiguously at branchlet tips, rarely more spaced along branchlets. Tepals 3.5-4.5 mm long, tapered, acute. Stamens 6. Capsule c. 3 mm long, < tepals, ovoid, obtuse but slightly mucronate, greenish-brown.
Perennials, tufted, up to 0.4 m tall; rhizomes compact; roots thin. Leaves narrowly linear-acuminate, grass-like, light green, sheathing bases auriculate. Flowers in exserted, compound, irregular dichasia, lowest bracts much longer than few-flowered, contracted, secund spikelets borne on branchlets of varying length; floral bracts small, acute. Tepals linear-acuminate, 3-4 mm long, aristate, green with hyaline margin. Stamens 6, short; anthers shorter than filaments. Ovary short; style and stigmas shorter than tepals. Capsule globose, 3.5 mm in diam.; seeds obliquely obovate, c. 0.35 mm long, light brown with short white apiculus, becoming mucilaginous when wetted.
Perennial, rhizomatous herb, tufted, up to 0.4 m high. Leaves rosulate, grass-like soft. Flowers exserted in compound, irregular dichasia; lowest bracts longer than few-flowered contracted spikelets born on branchlets; floral bracts small. Perianth segments green with hyaline margins, glumaceous. Stamens short; anthers shorter than filaments. Ovary with 3 ± separate locules; ovules biseriate, many; style terete with 3 stigmatic arms, shorter than perianth. Capsule loculicidal, globose. Seeds many, 0.4 mm long, with short white apiculus. Flowering time Nov.-Mar.
Tufted, perennial herb, up to 400 mm tall. Leaves narrowly linear-acuminate, grass-like. Inflorescences loose terminal panicles. Tepals spreading, overtopping capsules. Flowers green.
