Flora of North America species comparison

(3)10-50(80) cm, often highly branched above the base.

70-150 cm tall, 3-6 mm thick at the base, erect, rarely branched.

cauline, glabrous;

sheaths shorter than the internodes, not disintegrating into threadlike fibers;

ligules 0.4-1 mm;

blades 2-14 cm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, flat to involute.

mostly cauline;

sheaths usually longer than the internodes, remaining intact at maturity, glabrous or appressed pilose;

collars glabrous or pilose at the sides;

ligules less than 0.5 mm;

blades (10)15-30 cm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, flat at the base, involute toward the apex, straight to somewhat lax at maturity, glabrous abaxially, yellowish-green when fresh, drying stramineous or darker.

panicles, 5-15(20) cm long, 0.5-3 cm wide, often interrupted below;

nodes glabrous or with straight, less than 0.5 mm hairs;

primary branches 1-4 cm, erect to ascending, without axillary pulvini, with 3-8 spikelets.

paniculate, (15)20-55 cm long, 2-4 cm wide;

nodes glabrous or with short, straight hairs;

primary branches (4)5-20 cm, appressed to narrowly ascending, without axillary pulvini, naked below, with 5-15 overlapping spikelets distally.

crowded.

unequal, 1-veined, acuminate;

lower glumes 4-8 mm;

upper glumes 6-11 mm;

calluses 0.5-0.8 mm;

lemmas 6-9 mm, slightly keeled, midveins scabrous, junction with the awns not evident;

awns not disarticulating at maturity, flattened and straight to somewhat curved at the base, central rib flanked by equally wide pale wings;

central awns 7-15(20) mm;

lateral awns somewhat shorter, occasionally only 1-2 mm;

anthers 3, 0.3-0.7 mm.

6-10(12) mm, 1-veined, 1-keeled, awns less than 4 mm, brownish;

lower glumes from 3/4 as long as to 1 mm longer than the upper glumes;

calluses 1-2 mm;

lemmas 5-8 mm, often reddish-mottled, apices not strongly twisted, junction with the awns not evident;

awns about equally thick, divergent, spirally contorted at the base but usually not with distinct coils, not disarticulating at maturity;

central awns 10-15 mm;

lateral awns 8-13 mm;

anthers 3, about 2 mm.

4-5 mm, chestnut-colored.

= 22.

= unknown.