Flora of North America species comparison

9-85 cm, erect, sometimes decumbent at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, usually with 4-7 nodes.

15-75 cm, erect, frequently geniculate at the base, sometimes weakly rooting at the lower nodes, with 2-4(6) nodes.

basal and cauline;

sheaths smooth or scabrous;

ligules 1-4.8(7.5) mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to obtuse, erose-lacerate, sometimes ciliolate;

blades 2-12 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, upper blades broader than those below, flat.

basal and cauline;

sheaths usually smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

ligules 1-4 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices truncate to obtuse or acute, erose-lacerate;

blades 1-10 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, usually flat, sometimes involute, usually scabrous, apices acute.

2-10 cm long, 0.5-2 cm wide, narrow and spikelike to dense, lobed-lanceolate, bases exserted or enclosed by the upper sheaths at maturity;

branches to 1.5 cm, scabrous, appressed, branching at the base and mostly hidden by the spikelets;

pedicels about 0.4-3 mm.

3-10 cm long, 1-7 cm wide, open, often lax, lanceolate to broadly ovate, lowest node with 3-7 branches;

branches more or less scabrous, erect to spreading, usually branched above midlength, spikelet-bearing in the distal 1/3, patent at anthesis, lower branches 3-5 cm;

pedicels (0.4)1-3 mm.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, yellowish, sometimes tinged with purple, or greenish purple.

lanceolate or narrowly oblong, brownish yellow to purplish or rarely greenish.

generally equal, 2-3.3 mm, 1-veined, densely scabrous, aculeolate on the veins, narrowly acute to acuminate or somewhat mucronate, mucros to about 0.5 mm;

callus hairs to 0.3 mm, usually dense;

lemmas 1.5-2.1 mm, smooth or scabridulous, translucent, (3)5-veined, veins prominent to obscure, sometimes prominent only distally, apices acute to obtuse, veins usually extended as teeth up to 0.3 mm, unawned or awned from above midlength, awns to 3.5 mm, straight, readily deciduous;

paleas 0.3-0.7 mm, thin;

anthers 3, 0.5-2 mm.

subequal, 1.7-3 mm, 1-veined, scabrous only on the distal part of the midveins, acute;

callus hairs to 0.1 mm;

lemmas 1-2 mm, about 2/3 the length of the glumes, bases minutely pubescent, otherwise glabrous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent or obscure, apices acute to obtuse, entire, usually awned from near the base, awns to 5 mm, geniculate, rarely unawned, awned and unawned lemmas sometimes mixed within the panicle;

paleas absent, or to about 0.2 mm and thin;

anthers 3, 1-1.5 mm, at least 1/2 as long as the lemmas.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm solid.

0.8-1.2 mm;

endosperm solid.

= 42.

= 14.