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.

30-70 cm, erect, smooth, with 3-6 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.

mostly basal or basal and cauline;

sheaths smooth;

ligules (0.5) 1.5-4.2 mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to rounded, erose-lacerate, often ciliolate;

blades 10-20 cm long, 1-5(7) mm wide, flat, scabrous at least along the margins and/or veins.

(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.

8-35 cm long, 3-10 cm wide, widely ovate, becoming lax, open, usually exserted, bases sometimes enclosed in the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with (1)2-8 branches;

branches scabrous, spreading, branched above midlength, spikelet-bearing in the distal 1/2 - 2/3, lower branches 3-12 cm;

pedicels 0.5-5.5 mm, clavate;

secondary panicles often present in the leaf axils, smaller than the primary panicles.

lanceolate, green and slightly to strongly suffused with purple.

narrowly ovate to lanceolate, greenish or light brownish purple.

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, 1.5-2.8 mm, lanceolate, 1-veined, keels somewhat aculeolate, apices usually acute, sometimes acuminate;

calluses usually sparsely hairy, hairs to 0.2 mm, sometimes glabrous;

lemmas 1.2-2 mm, smooth, glabrous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent distally or obscure, apices acute, entire, unawned;

paleas absent, or to 0.2 mm and thin;

anthers 3, 0.3-0.6 mm, to 1/2 as long as the lemmas.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

0.9-1.3 mm.

= 28, 35,42.

= [28], 42.