Flora of North America species comparison

60-120 cm, stiffly erect, unbranched.

55-110 cm, erect, unbranched.

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 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.

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.

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

nodes glabrous, with only 1 spikelet.

appressed.

solitary, not overlapping.

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.

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.

4-5 mm, chestnut brown.

4-5 mm, chestnut-colored.

= unknown.

= unknown.