Flora of North America species comparison

(8)15-60 cm, erect from a geniculate base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, with (2)4-7 nodes.

6-30 cm, decumbent to erect.

mostly cauline;

sheaths smooth;

ligules longer than wide, dorsal surfaces usually scabrous, rarely smooth, apices usually rounded, acute to truncate, erose to lacerate, basal ligules 0.7-4 mm, upper ligules 3-7.5 mm;

blades 2-10 cm long, 2-6 mm wide, flat.

forming a dense, bristly basal tuft;

ligules 0.7-2.3 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices truncate to obtuse, often erose, sometimes lacerate or ciliolate;

blades 2-5 cm long, less than 1 mm wide, soon becoming tightly inrolled and rigid.

(3)4-20 cm long, less than 1/2 the length of the culm, 0.5-3(6) cm wide, narrowly contracted, dense, oblong to lanceolate, exserted from the sheaths at maturity, lowest node with 1-7 branches;

branches scabrous, ascending to appressed, except briefly spreading during anthesis, usually some branches at each node spikelet-bearing to the base, lower branches 2-6 cm;

pedicels 0.3-3.3 mm.

2-8 cm long, 0.2-0.6 cm wide, narrowly cylindric, spikelike, dense, occasionally interrupted near the base, the base often enclosed by the upper sheaths;

branches to 2 cm, scabrous, strongly appressed, hidden by the spikelets;

pedicels 0.5-7 mm.

lanceolate, green and slightly to strongly suffused with purple.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, greenish to purplish.

subequal to unequal, 1.6-3 mm, lanceolate, 1-veined, sometimes scabridulous distally, at least on the midvein, acute to acuminate or apiculate;

callus hairs to 0.5 mm, sparse;

lemmas 1.4-2 mm, opaque to translucent, smooth, 5-veined, veins obscure or prominent distally, apices acute to obtuse, entire or the veins excurrent to about 0.1 mm, usually unawned, rarely with a subapical straight awn to about 1 mm;

paleas 0.7-1.4 mm, veins visible;

anthers 3, 0.9-1.4 mm.

1.8-4 mm, often 3-veined, midveins scabrous to smooth, acute to acuminate;

calluses glabrous;

lemmas 1.5-2.5 mm, 5-veined, veins obscure or prominent distally, extending as teeth to 0.2 mm, unawned or awned from above midlength, awns to 1.2 mm, usually scarcely exceeding the lemma apices, straight;

paleas to 0.3 mm, thin;

anthers 3, 0.7-2 mm.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm liquid.

= 28, 35,42.

= 42.