Flora of North America species comparison

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

20-60 cm, wiry.

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.

cauline;

sheaths usually shorter than the internodes, mostly glabrous, sparsely hairy near the summit;

collars hispidulous, occasionally glabrous;

ligules 0.2-0.5 mm;

blades 3-22 cm long, to 2 mm wide, flat to involute, glabrous abaxially, sparsely pilose adaxially, without a prominent midrib but with a thickened vein near each margin, pale to gray-green, sometimes slightly glaucous.

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 or racemose, 5-12 cm long, 2-4 cm wide;

primary branches barely developed.

crowded.

appressed to slightly divergent from the axillary pulvini.

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.

subequal, apices bifid, awned from the sinuses;

lower glumes (9)11-16 mm, 3-7-veined, awns 0.5-2(4) mm;

upper glumes 11-18 mm, 1-3-veined, awns 3-7 mm;

calluses 0.4-1 mm;

lemmas (8)15-20(22) mm, dark, occasionally banded or spotted, apices narrowed but not beaklike;

central awns 12-25 mm, bases with a semicircular bend;

lateral awns 1-4 mm, erect, occasionally lacking;

anthers 3, about 3 mm, brown.

9-11 mm, dark brown to black.

= 22.

= unknown.