Flora of North America species comparison

55-110 cm, erect, unbranched.

70-100 cm, erect, mostly unbranched.

cauline;

sheaths shorter or longer than the internodes, glabrous, not disintegrating at maturity;

collars glabrous, or sparsely pilose at the sides;

ligules about 0.2 mm;

blades 5-25 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, flat or loosely folded, pale green, cauline leaves usually glabrous adaxially, innovation leaves pilose.

cauline;

sheaths mostly longer than the internodes, mostly glabrous, summit with hairs;

collars mostly glabrous, sides usually with straight or wrinkled hairs;

ligules 0.2-0.3 mm;

blades 30-55 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, pale yellow-green, loosely involute, lax, glabrous abaxially, with scattered hairs adaxially.

spikelike racemes, 20-45 cm long, 1-2 cm wide;

nodes glabrous, with only 1 spikelet.

paniculate, 30-45 cm long, 5-25 cm wide, oblong to ovate;

primary branches single or paired, ascending and somewhat lax to stiffly divergent, with weakly developed axillary pulvini, spikelet-bearing to the base;

lowermost branches to 15 cm.

solitary, not overlapping.

mostly appressed.

9-11 mm, equal or the lower glumes slightly longer than the upper, narrowly oblong, often slightly falcate, tan to brown, 1-veined;

lower glumes occasionally with 1-2 faint lateral veins, awn-tipped, awns about 0.5 mm;

upper glume awned, awns 1-2.5 mm;

calluses 1-1.5 mm;

lemmas 7-10 mm, brown, lead-colored, or purplish, not beaked, junction with the awns not evident;

awns equally thick, not disarticulating at maturity;

central awns 14-20 mm, slightly longer than the lateral awns, strongly curved basally, distal portion reflexed;

lateral awns horizontal to reflexed;

anthers 3, about 4.5 mm, purplish.

purplish-tinged, 1-veined;

lower glumes 10-14 mm;

upper glumes 8-9 mm;

calluses 0.5-0.7 mm;

lemmas 8-12 mm, gray mottled with purple or dark patches, narrowing to a slightly curved and twisted beak, junction with the awns not strongly marked;

awns not disarticulating at maturity;

central awns 10-25 mm, falcate;

lateral awns absent;

anthers 3, about 1 mm, brown.

4-5 mm, chestnut-colored.

6-7 mm, chestnut-colored.

= unknown.

= unknown.