Flora of North America species comparison

8-80 cm, erect or decumbent, solitary or in small to large groups.

20-60 cm, unbranched.

evenly distributed;

sheaths mostly glabrous, sometimes with hairs distally;

ligules 0.3-0.5 mm, membranous, ciliate;

blades 2-30 cm long (1.4)2.5-7 mm wide, at least some over 2.5 mm wide, flat or folded when dry, usually smooth abaxially and scabrous adaxially, occasionally pubescent, bases usually with papillose-based hairs on the margins.

mostly basal;

sheaths glabrous or sparsely ciliate near the throat, basal sheaths papery, becoming pale;

ligules to 0.5 mm, of hairs;

blades to 15 cm long, 1-1.5(3) mm wide, flat, lower leaves variously hispid or scabrous, upper leaves glabrous, with scabrous margins.

13-30 cm, secund, with (12)30-80 reflexed branches;

branches (5)10-30(40) mm, deciduous, with (1)2-7(15) spikelets, axes terminating 3-5 mm beyond the base of the terminal spikelets, apices entire;

disarticulation at the base of the branches.

6-10 cm, with (8)12-16(20) branches;

branches 5-11 mm, deciduous, pubescent, with (2)4-6 spikelets, axes extending about 5 mm beyond the terminal spikelets, apices entire;

disarticulation at the base of the branches.

appressed, all alike, with 1 bisexual and 1-2 sterile, rudimentary florets.

appressed, all alike, with 1-2 bisexual florets and 1 rudimentary floret.

unequal, glabrous or scabrous;

lower glumes 2.5-6 mm, 1/2 or more as long as the upper glumes;

upper glumes 5.5-8 mm;

lowest lemmas 3-6.5 mm, glabrous or scabrous-strigose, often minutely rugose, acute or inconspicuously 3-lobed, 3-veined, veins usually extending as short mucros or awns to 6 mm;

central mucros or awns not flanked by membranous lobes;

lowest paleas acute, unawned;

anthers 1.5-3.5 mm, yellow, orange, red, or purple;

distal floret(s) 0.4-3.5 mm, sterile, variable, usually a glabrous lemma having a short membranous base, no palea, and 3 unequally-developed awns, central awns 1.5-7 mm.

silvery-hispid over and between the veins, at least basally, apices acute, acuminate, or shortly awned;

lower glumes 5-6 mm;

upper glumes 6-7 mm, sericeous over the veins and elsewhere, hairs about 0.5 mm, apices mucronate;

lowest florets bisexual, pistillate, or staminate;

lowest lemmas 6-7 mm, pubescent between the veins and over the midveins, midveins extending into acuminate or setaceous lobes about the same length as the lateral lobes, not flanked by membranous lobes, lateral veins extending from the lateral lobes for 0.5-2 mm;

lowest paleas as long as the lemmas, pubescent, acute to acuminate, unawned;

second florets usually staminate, pistillate, or bisexual (rarely rudimentary);

second lemmas 8-10 mm; usually well-developed, pubescent, lateral veins extended into 0.5-4 mm awns, midveins extended into a flattened, 1-5 mm awn;

second paleas as long as the second lemmas, pubescent, usually with 2 short awns;

third florets, if present, pubescent, variable, resembling the second floret, a 3-awned structure with 2 membranous scales, or a prolongation of the rachilla.

about 5 mm long, about 1.5 mm wide.

= (20), 40, 41-103.

= 20.