Flora of North America species comparison

60-120 cm, stiffly erect, unbranched.

65-150 cm, sometimes thickened at the base, erect, unbranched;

internodes glabrous;

nodes concealed.

basal or nearly basal;

sheaths shorter than the internodes, smooth and mostly glabrous abaxially, sometimes with a line of widely spaced, 0.5-1 mm hairs over the midvein, not disintegrating into threadlike fibers at maturity;

collars glabrous, sometimes with a few conspicuous hairs at the sides;

ligules 0.1-0.3 mm;

blades 15-50 cm long, 0.3-1 mm wide, tightly involute, stiff, yellow-green, abaxial surfaces villous on both sides of the midvein, at least on the basal portion, hairs 0.6-1.5 mm, adaxial surfaces densely scabrous or densely short pubescent.

cauline;

sheaths longer than the internodes, usually lanose-floccose, occasionally glabrate;

ligules about 0.1 mm;

blades 10-25(30) cm long, 2-6 mm wide, flat, light green or slightly blue-green, glabrous abaxially.

paniculate, 20-35 cm, 5-8 mm wide;

nodes glabrous;

primary branches 2-5 cm, appressed, without axillary pulvini, with 4-12 spikelets, spikelet-bearing to the base.

paniculate, (25)35-70(82) cm long, (2)3-8(10) cm wide;

rachis nodes lanose-floccose;

primary branches 3-12 cm, appressed at the base, without axillary pulvini, ascending to spreading distally, sometimes loose and somewhat flexible, with 4-12 spikelets per branch.

appressed.

subequal, glabrous, light brown or tan, usually 1(2)-veined, bifid and awned, awns 1.5-2.5 mm;

lower glumes 7-10 mm;

upper glumes 6-9 mm;

calluses 0.4-0.6 mm;

lemmas 6-9 mm, glabrous, light-colored when young, reddish when mature, column 1-2 mm, not twisted, junction with the awns inconspicuous;

awns (7)10-15(22) mm, subequal, usually horizontally spreading or curving downward, not disarticulating at maturity;

anthers 3, about 3 mm, reddish-brown.

usually unequal, 1-veined, brownish-green to dark brown or purplish;

lower glumes 8.7-18 mm, with a keeled mid-vein;

upper glumes 8.4-15 mm, awn-tipped, awns to 3 mm;

calluses 0.5-1 mm;

lemmas 6.5-10 mm, smooth to scabridulous, mostly dark purplish-mottled, slightly narrowed distally but not beaked, junction with the awns not evident;

central awns 12-28 mm, curved at the base, often strongly so;

lateral awns 7-17 mm, at least Yi as long as the central awns;

anthers 3, about 3 mm, brown.

4-5 mm, chestnut brown.

5-6 mm, chestnut brown.

= unknown.

= unknown.