1 Widest leaves (4.1-) 6-15 mm wide; leaves strongly glaucous; [AR and OK]

1 Widest leaves (1-) 2-5.5 mm wide; leaves green or slightly glaucous; [collectively widespread].

  2 Lower pistillate scales (2.0-) 2.5-6.5 mm wide, wrapping around and nearly concealing the perigynium; staminate flowers 2-4 per spike

  2 Lower pistillate scales (2.0-) 2.5-6.5 m(0.9-) 1.2-2.5 (-3.0) mm wide, no more than 1.5× as wide as the perigynium, the margins spreading, and not concealing the perigynium; staminate flowers (2-) 5-25 per spike.

    3 Achenes subglobose, 1-1.5× as long as wide; staminate scales more or less truncate.

      4 Tallest culm 3.2-9.1 cm high, 15-32% of plant height; terminal spike with 4-8 perigynia; wider leaves with hyaline margins 0.05-0.2 mm wide; hyaline margins of distal pistillate scales 0.05-0.3 mm wide; perigynium beak 30-38% (-43%) of perigynium length; [of calcareous glades in w. VA and north and west of our area]

      4 Tallest culm 9.0-41 cm high, 39-86% of plant height; terminal spike with 1-4 perigynia; wider leaves with green margins; hyaline margins of distal pistillate scales 0.3-0.7 mm wide; perigynium beak 34-53% of perigynium length; [of rich forests or rocky calcareous glades and woodlands].

        5 Longest (per plant) staminate portion of terminal spike (4.9-) 5.8-13.5 mm long; proximalmost staminate scale in terminal spike 1.1-1.8 (-2.1) mm long, 13-26 (-35)% of length of staminate portion of terminal spike; perigynium beaks (1.9-) 2.3-3.9 mm long, 39-53% of perigynium length; shoot bases lacking red-purple; [of rich mesic forests widespread in our area, especially VA]

        5 Longest (per plant) staminate portion of terminal spike 3.4-5.6 (-6.2) mm long; proximalmost staminate scale in terminal spike (1.9-) 2.1-3.3 mm long, (35-) 44-77% of length of staminate portion of terminal spike; perigynium beaks 1.4-2.3 (-2.5) mm long, 34-44% of perigynium length; shoot bases tinged with reddish-purple; [of c. TN and c. KY and westward]

    3 Achenes ellipsoid, 1.5-2.0× as long as wide; staminate scales obtuse to acute.

          6 Tallest culm 0.18-0.38× as tall as plant; perigynia (7.0-) 7.5-10.8 mm long; perigynium beaks (3.6-) 4.1-6.4 mm long; culms erect; peduncles usually erect to spreading

          6 Tallest culm 0.41-0.87× as tall as plant; perigynia 4.5-8.0 mm long; perigynium beaks 1.7-4.3 mm long; culms erect to spreading; peduncles usually widely spreading to nodding.

             7 Longest staminate portion of terminal spikes 4.9-5.7 (-6.5) mm long; perigynia 4.5-5.7 (-6.5) mm long; perigynium beaks 1.7-2.6 (-2.8) mm long; achenes 1.8-2.6 mm long