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.

30-80 cm, erect, usually with more than 3 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 on the lower 1/2 of the culm;

basal leaves withered by anthesis;

lower leaf sheaths finely tomentose, the tomentum extending to below ground;

upper leaf sheaths smooth;

ligules 2.5-6 mm, dorsal surfaces scabridulous, apices acute to truncate, lacerate;

blades 10-16 cm long, 0.5-1(2) mm wide, flat, becoming involute.

(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.

(4)10-17 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, broadly lanceolate, usually open, exserted from the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with 1-8 branches;

branches scabrous, generally ascending, mostly branching at about midlength, sometimes to near the base, lower branches 1.5-5 cm;

pedicels 0.4-5 mm.

lanceolate, green and slightly to strongly suffused with purple.

lanceolate, slightly 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.

equal to subequal, 1.8-3 mm, 1-veined, scabridulous on the veins, sometimes also on the body, acute;

callus hairs to 0.3 mm, abundant;

lemmas 1.5-2 mm, scabridulous to warty throughout or only on the veins, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins prominent distally, apices truncate, minutely toothed to about 0.2 mm, awned on the lower 1/3, awns to 2.5 mm, geniculate, persistent;

paleas absent or minute;

anthers 3, 1-1.5 mm, usually shed at anthesis.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm liquid.

= 28, 35,42.

= unknown.