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.

(3.3)5.5-60 cm, erect, glabrous, with (2)3-4 nodes.

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.

mostly basal or evenly distributed;

sheaths glabrous, scabridulous;

ligules 2-6.2 mm, membranous, scabridulous dorsally, apices acute to more or less truncate, erose to lacerate;

blades 4-19 cm long, 0.5-4 mm wide, involute or flat, scabrous or smooth over the veins.

(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.

1.5-14 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, lanceoloid, somewhat spikelike, dense to somewhat open, exserted at anthesis;

branches appressed, shorter than 2 cm;

pedicels 0.7-3(4.5) mm, scabrous.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, greenish to purplish.

purple to green, shiny.

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.

subequal, 2-3.5 mm, 1-veined, keeled, keels and back usually smooth, occasionally scabrous, apices acute, muticous;

lower glumes wider than the upper glumes;

calluses with 2 tufts of hair to 0.3 mm;

lemmas 1.4-1.9 mm, glabrous, 5-veined, veins evident, apices truncate to acute, microdenticulate, teeth to about 0.1 mm, dorsally awned from midlength or below, awns 2-3.5 mm, exserted, twisted, geniculate, scabridulous;

paleas 0.1-0.2 mm, hyaline, linear;

anthers 3, 0.5-1 mm.

0.9-1.2 mm;

endosperm solid or soft.

0.7-1.2 mm;

endosperm soft.

= 28, 42, 56.

= 28.