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.

40-80 cm, geniculate and decumbent at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, with 3-6 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.

mostly cauline;

basal leaves withered by anthesis;

cauline leaves persisting;

sheaths smooth or scabridulous;

ligules (0.9)2.7-5 mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to acute, erose to lacerate;

blades 15-20 cm long, 3-5 mm wide, flat.

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.

10-25 cm long, 3.5-11 cm wide, ovate, open and diffuse, bases usually exserted, rarely enclosed in the upper sheaths, lowest node with (1)2-6 branches;

branches scabridulous, flexuous, spreading, spikelets usually only on the distal 1/2, lower branches 3-10 cm;

pedicels 1.2-9.4 mm.

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

ovate to lanceolate, green, not or slightly tinged with purple.

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.

unequal, 2.3-3.5 mm, 1(3)-veined, veins scabridulous, acute to acuminate;

callus hairs to 0.3 mm, abundant;

lemmas 2.5-3 mm, usually smooth, sometimes scabridulous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent distally or obscure, apices acute to obtuse, lateral veins extending as 4 teeth to 0.5 mm, awned from the lower 1/3, awns 4-6 mm, geniculate;

paleas absent or minute;

anthers 3, 1-1.3 mm.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm solid.

1.2-1.6 mm;

endosperm liquid.

= 42.

= 28.