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.

5-30 cm, erect, sometimes geniculate at the base, with 2-5(7) 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 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.

2-10 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.

(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, yellowish, sometimes tinged with purple, or greenish purple.

ovate to lanceolate, greenish 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.

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 solid.

1-1.3 mm;

endosperm soft.

= 42.

= 28.