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.

4-20 cm.

smooth, upper sheaths inflated;

ligules (0.6)1-1.5 mm, dorsal surfaces scabrous, apices truncate to rounded, lacerate to erose-ciliolate;

blades 1-2.5 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, flat or folded.

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.

(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.

1.5-6 cm long, 0.4-2 cm wide, initially lanceolate, becoming ovate and diffuse, bases sometimes enclosed in the upper sheaths;

branches 1-3 cm, erect to spreading, scabrous;

pedicels 0.5-6.3 mm.

lanceolate, green and slightly to strongly suffused with purple.

ovate, green, slightly to strongly 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, 2-2.5 mm, 1-veined, acuminate;

lower glumes scabrous on the midvein;

upper glumes smooth or scabrous on the midvein;

callus hairs to 0.1 mm, sparse;

lemmas 1.3-1.7 mm, scabrous, translucent to opaque, 5-veined, veins mostly obscure, apices truncate, entire, erose, or the veins excurrent to about 0.12 mm, unawned;

paleas to 0.2 mm, thin;

anthers 3, 0.5-0.9 mm, often retained at the apices of the caryopses.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

1.2-1.5 mm;

endosperm semisoft.

= 28, 35,42.

= unknown.