Flora of North America species comparison

8-100 cm, erect or decumbent at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, with (2)3-6(8) nodes.

8-45 cm, erect.

mostly cauline;

sheaths smooth or slightly scabrous;

ligules (1)1.7-8(11.2) mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to obtuse, lacerate to erose;

blades 4-15 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, flat.

usually mostly cauline, sometimes mostly basal;

sheaths glabrous or pubescent;

upper sheaths usually inflated;

ligules 1.4-4.5 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices truncate to acute, lacerate to erose;

blades 3-15 cm long, 0.7-2.5 mm wide, flat, becoming involute, finely scabrous.

(3)5-30 cm long, 0.5-4 cm wide, contracted, spikelike, oblong, or lanceolate, usually dense, rarely more open, sometimes interrupted near the base, bases usually exserted, rarely enclosed by the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with 1-5 branches;

branches scabrous, ascending to appressed, spikelet-bearing to or near the base, usually hidden by the spikelets, spikelets crowded, lower branches 1-2(4) cm;

pedicels 0.2-4.3 mm.

2-12 cm long, 0.4-2 cm wide, cylindrical, spikelike, dense, occasionally lobed or interrupted near the base, appearing bristly from the awns, usually exserted from the upper sheaths at maturity;

branches 0.3-1.5 cm, scabrous to scabridulous, ascending to appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base and hidden by the spikelets;

pedicels 0.3-3 mm.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, greenish to purplish.

lanceolate, greenish to yellowish, tinged with purple.

subequal to equal, 1.5-3.5 mm, scabrous on the midvein and sometimes on the back, 1(3)-veined, acute, elongate-acuminate, with an awnlike tip to 1 mm;

callus hairs to 0.3 mm, sparse to abundant;

lemmas 1.2-2.2 mm, smooth, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent distally or obscure throughout, apices acute, entire or toothed, teeth no more than 0.12 mm, unawned or awned from above midlength, awns to 3.5 mm, straight or geniculate;

paleas absent or to 0.5 mm;

anthers 3, 0.3-0.6 mm.

equal to subequal, 2.5-5 mm, scabrous over the midvein and often scabridulous on the body, 1-veined, apices narrowly acuminate to awn-tipped, awns to 1.5 mm;

callus hairs to 0.5(1) mm, usually dense;

lemmas 1.5-2.3 mm, scabrous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent distally, apices acute, veins extended into 2(4) teeth, teeth 0.1-0.5 mm, awned from about midlength or above, awns 3.5-8 mm, geniculate;

paleas absent, or to 0.2 mm and thin;

anthers 3, 0.4-0.6 mm, often retained at the apices of the caryopses.

0.9-1.2 mm;

endosperm solid or soft.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm soft.

= 28, 42, 56.

= 56.