Flora of North America species comparison

30-100 (140) cm;

internodes usually glaucous;

branches mostly erect, straight.

20-60 cm, wiry, glabrous.

smooth;

ligules 0.3-1.5 mm, sometimes ciliate, cilia to 0.7 mm;

blades 6-48 cm long, 0.8-5 mm wide, glabrous or densely pubescent with spreading hairs.

smooth;

ligules to 1.4 mm;

blades to 45 cm long, to 4 mm wide, involute and filiform, or folded.

2-31 per culm; subtending sheaths (2.6)4.1-4.5(13.5) cm long, (1.5)2.7-4.7(8) mm wide;

peduncles (1)5-31(195) mm, with 2-5 rames;

rames (1.5)2.8-4.2(6) cm, exserted or not at maturity, pubescence increasing in density distally within each internode.

3-50+ per culm;

peduncles 2-13.2 cm, with 1 rame;

rames 2-4 cm, usually long-exserted at maturity;

internodes densely pubescent, hairs to 8 mm.

spikelets (3)3.9-4.7(5.7) mm;

callus hairs 1-5 mm;

keels of lower glumes scabrous only beyond midlength;

awns 8-24 mm;

anthers 1, 0.6-1.4(1.7) mm, yellow or purple.

spikelets 4-6 mm;

lower glumes scabrous in the distal 1/2;

awns 11-20 mm.

spikelets vestigial or absent.

spikelets reduced to an awned or unawned glume, sterile.

= 20.

= 40.