Flora of North America species comparison

to 100 cm, often decumbent or stoloniferous, freely branching;

nodes bearded.

60-120 cm tall, rarely more than 2 mm thick, erect, geniculate at the base, often branched at maturity, not glaucous below the nodes;

nodes hirsute, hairs 3-4 mm, mostly erect to ascending, tan or off-white.

mostly basal, green, sometimes glaucous;

sheaths glabrous, keeled;

ligules 0.7-1.5 mm;

blades 3-15 cm long, 3-4 mm wide, flat, margins and ligule regions hairy.

cauline;

ligules 1-2 mm, often erose;

blades 20-30 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, not glaucous, glabrous or sparingly pilose near the throat.

3-5 cm, fan-shaped, often purplish;

rachises 0.2-2 cm, with 3-8 branches;

branches 3-4.5 cm, longer than the rachises, usually with 1 rame;

rame internodes with villous margins, with 1-3 mm hairs.

5-14(20) cm on the larger shoots, oblong to somewhat fan-shaped, silvery-white;

rachises 5-10 cm, straight, exserted or partially included in the sheath, with numerous branches;

branches 4-9 cm, erect, with several rames;

rame internodes with a membranous groove wider than the margins, margins densely pilose, longest hairs 3-7 mm, concentrated distally.

spikelets 3-4 mm, lanceolate;

callus hairs about 1 mm;

lower glumes sparsely hirtellous, with a prominent dorsal pit near the middle;

awns 10-17 mm;

anthers 1-1.8 mm, yellow.

spikelets 4.5-7.3 mm;

lower glumes short pilose, with or without a dorsal pit;

awns 20-35 mm;

anthers 0.5-1 mm, often remaining within the spikelet.

spikelets the same size as the sessile spikelets, sterile, pitted or not, occasionally with 2 pits.

spikelets 3-4 mm, narrowly lanceolate, sterile.

= 40, 60.

= 180.