Flora of North America species comparison

6-30 cm, decumbent to erect.

5-30 cm, erect, sometimes geniculate at the base, with 2-5(7) 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, forming dense tufts;

sheaths smooth;

ligules (0.7)1-2.8 mm, dorsal surfaces usually scabridulous, sometimes smooth, apices rounded to truncate, lacerate to erose;

blades 3-7 cm long, 0.5-2 mm wide, flat, becoming folded or 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.

(1)2.5-6 cm long, 0.3-1.2(2) cm wide, cylindric to lanceolate, usually dense, exserted from the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with 1-5 branches;

branches usually scabridulous, sometimes smooth, ascending to erect, branching at or near the base and spikelet-bearing to the base, to branching in the distal 2/3, lower branches 0.5-1.5 cm;

pedicels 0.4-2.8(4.3) mm.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, greenish to purplish.

ovate to lanceolate, greenish purple.

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, 1.8-2.5 mm, smooth, or scabrous on the keel and sometimes elsewhere, 1-veined, acute to acuminate;

callus hairs to 0.2 mm, sparse to abundant;

lemmas 1.5-2 mm, smooth, translucent, (3)5-veined, veins usually prominent distally, sometimes obscure throughout, apices acute, entire, usually unawned, rarely awned, awns to 1(2.8) mm, arising beyond the midpoint, usually not reaching the lemma apices;

paleas to 0.2 mm, thin;

anthers 3, 0.4-0.7(1) mm.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm liquid.

1-1.3 mm;

endosperm soft.

= 42.

= 28.