Flora of North America species comparison

15-60 cm, erect or geniculate at the base, branching at most of the nodes.

45-80 cm, erect, usually unbranched.

cauline;

sheaths usually shorter than the internodes, glabrous or sparsely pilose;

collars glabrous;

ligules less than 0.5 mm;

blades 3-10 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, flat to folded basally, involute distally, scabridulous on both surfaces, occasionally sparsely pilose adaxially, light green.

basal and cauline;

sheaths longer than the internodes, glabrous except at the summit;

collars densely pilose, hairs 1-3 mm, cobwebby and tangled, often deflexed;

ligules less than 0.5 mm;

blades 5-15 cm long, about 0.5 mm wide, usually involute, occasionally loosely folded, glabrous, light green.

paniculate or racemose, 2-11 cm long, to 1 cm wide;

nodes glabrous or strigillose;

primary branches 1-2 cm, appressed, without axillary pulvini, with 1-2 spikelets.

paniculate, 12-20 cm long, 2-8 cm wide;

primary branches 2-5 cm, erect to horizontal, with or without axillary pulvini, with 1-5 spikelets.

partly overlapping, often in pairs, 1 spikelet subsessile, the other pedicellate.

appressed or with axillary pulvini and spreading.

1-veined, light gray to dark purplish or brownish;

lower glumes 3-8(10) mm, from 1/2 as long as the upper glumes to nearly equaling them;

upper glumes 4-13 mm;

calluses 0.3-0.5 mm;

lemmas 3-11 mm, light gray to purplish, frequently mottled, midveins scabrous, elsewhere glabrous, scabridulous, or sparsely appressed-puberulent, junction with the awns not evident;

central awns 3-8 mm, coiled at the base, spreading distally;

lateral awns 1-4 mm, straight, erect;

anthers 3 and 2-3 mm, or 1 and about 0.25 mm.

6-10(12) mm, equal or the lower glumes slightly shorter, 1-veined, brownish;

calluses about 0.5 mm;

lemmas (6)7-14(16) mm, mostly smooth, mottled, terminating in a 2-4 mm, usually twisted, scabrous beak;

central awns 5-10 mm, sharply curved at the base, spreading distally;

lateral awns absent or to 3 mm, erect;

anthers 3, about 1.5 mm, brown.

light brown.

5-8 mm.

= unknown.

= unknown.