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Section Glareosae
See list of 7 species in this sectionReference: Toivonen (2002).
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1a. Perigynia essentially beakless; inflorescence 6–12 mm tall, consisting of 2–4 aggregated and overlapping spikes
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1b. Perigynia definitely, although sometimes shortly, beaked; inflorescence mostly 15–100 mm tall, consisting of (1–) 2–15 aggregated to long-remote spikes
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2a. Spikes (1–) 2–4 per stem, the lowest widely separated from the upper spikes (when present) and subtended by a prolonged, setaceous bract (2–) 3–10 cm long; spikes composed of 1–5 carpellate flowers; herbaceous portion of leaf sheath white spotted
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3a. Leaf blades (0.8–) 1–1.9 mm wide, flat to partially folded; ligules 0.5–1.9 mm long; inflorescence (14–) 23–55 mm long, with (2–) 3 or 4 spikes, the terminal spike with (1–) 2–5 perigynia
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3b. Leaf blades 0.3–0.5 (–0.8) mm wide, involute; ligules 0.3–0.8 (–1.2) mm long; inflorescence 14–32 mm long, with 2 or 3 spikes, the terminal spike with 1–3 perigynia
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2b. Spikes 3–15, the lowest approximate to or shortly separated from the upper spikes, subtended by a short, setaceous bract mostly shorter than 3 cm; spikes composed of 5–30 carpellate flowers; herbaceous portion of leaf sheath without white spots
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4a. Perigynia ovate in outline, widest near base, with a serrulate-margined beak; inflorescence composed of 5–15 spikes that are aggregated together [Fig. 87]
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4b. Perigynia elliptic-ovate to elliptic-oblong in outline, widest near the middle, with an entire- or serrulate-margined beak; inflorescence composed of 3–8 (–10) spikes, at the least the lower usually separate [Fig. 88]
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5a. Carpellate scales light red-brown, equaling to shortly exceeding and covering the perigynia; stems smooth on the angles; uppermost spike with a prolonged, basal, staminate portion comprising 33–67% of the entire spike; plants of brackish communities
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5b. Carpellate scales gray, gray-green, or light brown, slightly shorter than and not completely covering the perigynia; stems scabrous on the angles; uppermost spike with a short, basal, staminate comprising (0–) 15–54% of the entire spike; plants of freshwater and terrestrial communities
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6a. Spikes composed of 5–10 (–14) carpellate flowers [Fig. 88]; perigynia ascending to ascending-spreading, green, becoming brown; abaxial side of the beak with a distinct longitudinal slit; leaf blades 0.5–2.5 mm wide, green to yellow-green
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6b. Spikes composed of (5–) 10–20 (–30) carpellate flowers; perigynia appressed-ascending, gray-green, becoming yellow-brown; abaxial side of the beak without a slit or with an inconspicuous one; leaf blades (1.5–) 2–4 mm wide, gray-green to pale green
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Each photo represents one species in this section.