Flora of North America species comparison

6-30 cm, decumbent to erect.

8-100 cm, erect or decumbent at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, with (2)3-6(8) nodes.

forming a dense, bristly basal tuft;

ligules 0.7-2.3 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices truncate to obtuse, often erose, sometimes lacerate or ciliolate;

blades 2-5 cm long, less than 1 mm wide, soon becoming tightly inrolled and rigid.

mostly cauline;

sheaths smooth or slightly scabrous;

ligules (1)1.7-8(11.2) mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to obtuse, lacerate to erose;

blades 4-15 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, flat.

2-8 cm long, 0.2-0.6 cm wide, narrowly cylindric, spikelike, dense, occasionally interrupted near the base, the base often enclosed by the upper sheaths;

branches to 2 cm, scabrous, strongly appressed, hidden by the spikelets;

pedicels 0.5-7 mm.

(3)5-30 cm long, 0.5-4 cm wide, contracted, spikelike, oblong, or lanceolate, usually dense, rarely more open, sometimes interrupted near the base, bases usually exserted, rarely enclosed by the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with 1-5 branches;

branches scabrous, ascending to appressed, spikelet-bearing to or near the base, usually hidden by the spikelets, spikelets crowded, lower branches 1-2(4) cm;

pedicels 0.2-4.3 mm.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, greenish to purplish.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, greenish to purplish.

1.8-4 mm, often 3-veined, midveins scabrous to smooth, acute to acuminate;

calluses glabrous;

lemmas 1.5-2.5 mm, 5-veined, veins obscure or prominent distally, extending as teeth to 0.2 mm, unawned or awned from above midlength, awns to 1.2 mm, usually scarcely exceeding the lemma apices, straight;

paleas to 0.3 mm, thin;

anthers 3, 0.7-2 mm.

subequal to equal, 1.5-3.5 mm, scabrous on the midvein and sometimes on the back, 1(3)-veined, acute, elongate-acuminate, with an awnlike tip to 1 mm;

callus hairs to 0.3 mm, sparse to abundant;

lemmas 1.2-2.2 mm, smooth, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent distally or obscure throughout, apices acute, entire or toothed, teeth no more than 0.12 mm, unawned or awned from above midlength, awns to 3.5 mm, straight or geniculate;

paleas absent or to 0.5 mm;

anthers 3, 0.3-0.6 mm.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm liquid.

0.9-1.2 mm;

endosperm solid or soft.

= 42.

= 28, 42, 56.