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.

10-70 cm, erect, sometimes decumbent at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, with 3-7 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.

usually cauline;

sheaths usually smooth, sometimes scabridulous;

ligules 1-6 mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to rounded or acute, often lacerate to erose;

blades 1.5-11.5 cm long, 1-6 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.

5-20 cm long, 0.4-6(8) cm wide, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, open to contracted, exserted from the upper sheaths at maturity, lowest node with 1-8 branches;

branches scabrous to scabridulous, usually ascending, branching below midlength, the majority spikelet-bearing to the base, lower branches 2-5 cm;

pedicels 0.5-7 mm.

lanceolate, green and slightly to strongly suffused with purple.

lanceolate to narrowly ovate, green to yellowish green or yellow, tinged with 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.

equal to subequal, 2-3.5 mm, scabrous over the midvein and sometimes also sparsely over the body, 1(3)-veined, acute to acuminate;

callus hairs to 0.3(1) mm, sparse;

lemmas 1.5-2.5 mm, smooth or scabridulous or warty, 5-veined, veins prominent throughout or only distally, apices acute, entire or the veins excurrent to about 0.2 mm, usually unawned, rarely awned from below the apices, awns to 0.5(2.7) mm, straight;

paleas absent, or to 0.2 mm and thin;

anthers 3, 0.7-1.8 mm.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

1-1.5 mm;

endosperm solid.

= 28, 35,42.

= 42, 56.