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.

10-60 cm, erect or geniculate at the base, slender, smooth, with 1-2(4) nodes.

smooth;

ligules 0.6-5 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices acute to obtuse, entire or lacerate to erose;

blades 2-10 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, usually flat, sometimes involute, sometimes bristlelike, adaxial surfaces scabrous, abaxial surfaces sometimes scabrous.

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.

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.

2-15 cm long, (0.8)1-5.5(8) cm wide, lanceolate to oblong, somewhat open, often contracted after anthesis, lowest node with (1)3-8 branches;

branches scabrous, readily visible, more or less erect, branched mostly at or below midlength, spikelets closely clustered, lower branches 3-5 cm;

pedicels 0.5-2 mm.

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

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

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.

equal to subequal, 2-4 mm, membranous, acute to acuminate;

lower glumes 1-veined, scabrous to scabridulous over the midvein;

upper glumes usually shorter than the lower glumes, 1(3)-veined, almost smooth;

callus hairs to 0.1 mm, sparse;

lemmas 1.5-2.4 mm, about 3/4 the length of the glumes, bases minutely pubescent, glabrous and smooth elsewhere, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins usually prominent distally, apices blunt, entire, usually awned from near the base, awns 2-4.5 mm, geniculate, rarely unawned;

paleas to about 0.2 mm;

anthers 3,1-1.8 mm.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm solid.

0.8-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

= 42.

= 28.