Flora of North America species comparison

4-60 cm, outer culms of a tuft decumbent, sometimes geniculate, branched at the lower nodes.

1-75 cm, prostrate, decumbent, or erect, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes;

lower internodes glabrous.

basal or cauline;

sheaths usually glabrous, except for tufts of long hairs on either side of the collars;

ligules 0.1-1 mm, membranous, ciliate;

blades 0.5-10 cm long, 0.7-4 mm wide, adaxial surfaces usually sparsely pubescent with a few papillose-based hairs basally.

2.5-10.5 cm, with (1)4-15 branches;

branches 5-45 mm, deciduous, densely pubescent (at least basally), with 2-10 spikelets per branch, axes extending 2-10 mm beyond the base of the terminal spikelets, apices entire;

disarticulation at the base of the branches, the break forming a sharp tip.

0.7-25 cm, with (2)4-9(11) branches;

branches 10-30 mm, persistent, straight to arcuate, glabrous, scabridulous, or with papillose-based hairs, with 20-55 spikelets, axes terminating in a well-developed spikelet;

disarticulation above the glumes.

appressed.

2.5-5 mm, pectinate, with 1 bisexual and 2 rudimentary florets.

unequal, glabrous, sometimes scabridulous, apices sometimes shortly bilobed, acuminate or mucronate;

lower glumes 0.7-1.5 mm;

upper glumes 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous, scabrous, or strigose, hairs not papillose-based;

lowest lemmas 1.7-4 mm, densely pilose, at least on the margins, 3-awned, awns 0.5-3 mm, central awns flanked by 2 membranous lobes;

lowest paleas 1.5-4 mm, pubescent on the margins, 4-lobed, 2-awned, awns 1-2 mm;

anthers 0.4-0.7 mm;

rachilla segments subtending second florets terminating in a dense tuft of hairs;

second florets rudimentary, 1.5-4 mm, 2-lobed, lobes rounded, 3-awned, awns 0.5-4 mm;

rachilla segments subtending third florets with glabrous or puberulent apices;

third florets rudimentary, flabellate, unawned.

2.5-3 mm.

to 1 mm.

0.2-0.5 mm, membranous, lacerate or ciliate;

blades 2-5(9) cm long, 0.7-2 mm wide, flat or folded, adaxial surfaces sometimes with papillose-based hairs, margins usually with papillose-based hairs near the ligules.

spikelet on each branch with 1 floret;

lower glumes 1.5-3.5 mm, glabrous, narrow to subulate;

upper glumes 5.5-6.2 mm, densely pubescent, at least on the basal 1/2;

lemmas 5.8-6 mm, acuminate, unawned;

lowest paleas almost as long as the lemmas, bifid, glabrous;

rachillas prolonged beyond the florets for about 0.5 mm.

spikelets with 1 bisexual and 1 rudimentary floret, glumes unequal, glabrous, minutely scabrous on the keels; narrowly acute or acuminate;

lower glumes 1.5-2 mm;

upper glumes 5-6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent basally, often divergent;

lowest lemmas 6-8 mm, veins pubescent, lateral veins excurrent as short (to 1 mm) awns, acuminate, midvein extended into a setaceous tip or a short awn;

lowest paleas 5-7 mm, bifid, veins often excurrent as short awns;

anthers about 2.5 mm, yellow or yellow and red;

distal florets reduced to a pubescent, 3-awned, awn column, awns 2-7 mm, exserted.

= 40.

= 20.