Flora of North America species comparison

35-115(130) cm tall, usually less than 2 mm thick, erect or geniculate at the base, branched at maturity;

nodes shortly hirsute, pilose with erect hairs, or glabrous.

40-150 cm, erect;

nodes glabrous, uppermost node often concealed within the sheaths.

usually basal (sometimes cauline on robust plants), usually glaucous;

ligules 1-3 mm;

blades 5-25 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, flat to folded, mostly glabrous.

cauline, mostly glabrous;

sheaths with a white, powdery bloom;

ligules 1-2.2 mm;

blades 10-20 cm long, 3-6(8) mm wide, flat to folded.

4-12(14) cm, narrowly oblong or lanceolate, silvery-white or light tan;

rachises 4-8 cm, with more than 10 branches;

branches 1-5.5 cm, erect-appressed, rarely with axillary pulvini, lower branches shorter than the rachises, usually with more than 1 rame;

rame internodes with a groove wider than the margins, margins copiously hairy, hairs 3-9 mm, at least somewhat obscuring the spikelets.

4.5-15 cm, lanceolate;

rachises with numerous branches;

branches shorter than the rachises, erect-appressed, lacking axillary pulvini;

rame internodes with a central groove about as wide as the margins, margins densely villous, hairs 4-6 mm, obscuring the spikelets.

spikelets 2.5-4.5 mm, ovate, somewhat glaucous, apices blunt;

lower glumes glabrous or hirtellous, rarely with a dorsal pit;

awns 8-16 mm;

anthers 0.6-1.4 mm.

spikelets 2.5-4 mm long, 0.6-0.8 mm wide, narrowly ovate;

lower glumes glabrous or sparsely short-pilose, lacking a dorsal pit;

awns absent or to 6 mm;

anthers 0.5-1.5 mm.

spikelets 1.5-2.5(3.5) mm, shorter than the sessile spikelets, sterile.

spikelets shorter than the sessile spikelets, sterile.

= 60.

= 60.