Flora of North America species comparison

6-30 cm, decumbent to erect.

8-40 cm, slender, erect, with 2-5 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 basal;

sheaths usually smooth, sometimes scabridulous, not inflated;

ligules (0.7)1-3.8 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices rounded to truncate, rarely acute, erose to lacerate;

blades 1-7 cm long, 0.5-2 mm wide, flat, becoming involute.

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.

3-13 cm long, 1-6(8) cm wide, lanceolate to ovate, diffuse, exserted from the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with 1-6(10) branches;

branches scabridulous, fairly stiff, more or less ascending, branching at or above midlength, spikelets not crowded, frequently solitary, lower branches 1-4 cm;

pedicels 0.5-6.4 mm.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, greenish to purplish.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 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, 1.5-2.5 mm, 1-veined, usually scabrous to scabridulous, upper glumes sometimes smooth, apices acute to acuminate;

callus hairs to 0.3 mm, sparse;

lemmas 1.2-2.2 mm, usually smooth, sometimes scabridulous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins usually prominent at least distally, sometimes obscure, apices acute to obtuse, entire, unawned;

paleas absent, or to 0.2 mm and thin;

anthers 3, 0.3-0.6 mm.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm liquid.

1-1.3 mm.

= 42.

= 28.