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.

(3.3)5.5-60 cm, erect, glabrous, with (2)3-4 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 evenly distributed;

sheaths glabrous, scabridulous;

ligules 2-6.2 mm, membranous, scabridulous dorsally, apices acute to more or less truncate, erose to lacerate;

blades 4-19 cm long, 0.5-4 mm wide, involute or flat, scabrous or smooth over the 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.

1.5-14 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, lanceoloid, somewhat spikelike, dense to somewhat open, exserted at anthesis;

branches appressed, shorter than 2 cm;

pedicels 0.7-3(4.5) mm, scabrous.

lanceolate, green and slightly to strongly suffused with purple.

purple to green, shiny.

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, 2-3.5 mm, 1-veined, keeled, keels and back usually smooth, occasionally scabrous, apices acute, muticous;

lower glumes wider than the upper glumes;

calluses with 2 tufts of hair to 0.3 mm;

lemmas 1.4-1.9 mm, glabrous, 5-veined, veins evident, apices truncate to acute, microdenticulate, teeth to about 0.1 mm, dorsally awned from midlength or below, awns 2-3.5 mm, exserted, twisted, geniculate, scabridulous;

paleas 0.1-0.2 mm, hyaline, linear;

anthers 3, 0.5-1 mm.

0.9-1.3 mm;

endosperm solid.

0.7-1.2 mm;

endosperm soft.

= 28, 35,42.

= 28.