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.

15-75 cm, erect, frequently geniculate at the base, sometimes weakly rooting at the lower nodes, with 2-4(6) nodes.

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.

basal and cauline;

sheaths usually smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

ligules 1-4 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices truncate to obtuse or acute, erose-lacerate;

blades 1-10 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, usually flat, sometimes involute, usually scabrous, apices acute.

(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.

3-10 cm long, 1-7 cm wide, open, often lax, lanceolate to broadly ovate, lowest node with 3-7 branches;

branches more or less scabrous, erect to spreading, usually branched above midlength, spikelet-bearing in the distal 1/3, patent at anthesis, lower branches 3-5 cm;

pedicels (0.4)1-3 mm.

lanceolate, green and slightly to strongly suffused with purple.

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

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.

subequal, 1.7-3 mm, 1-veined, scabrous only on the distal part of the midveins, acute;

callus hairs to 0.1 mm;

lemmas 1-2 mm, about 2/3 the length of the glumes, bases minutely pubescent, otherwise glabrous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent or obscure, apices acute to obtuse, entire, usually awned from near the base, awns to 5 mm, geniculate, rarely unawned, awned and unawned lemmas sometimes mixed within the panicle;

paleas absent, or to about 0.2 mm and thin;

anthers 3, 1-1.5 mm, at least 1/2 as long as the lemmas.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

0.8-1.2 mm;

endosperm solid.

= 28, 35,42.

= 14.