Flora of North America species comparison

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

15-65 cm, erect, geniculate, or decumbent, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, usually branching from the aerial nodes.

glabrous or pubescent;

ligules 0.2-0.3 mm, membranous, ciliate;

blades 5-20 cm long, 1-5 mm wide, bases with papillose-based hairs on the margins, both surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

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.

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.

4-14 cm, with (3)7-12 branches;

branches 10-20 mm, with 2-8 spikelets, extending 4-6 mm beyond the base of 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 bisexual and 1 staminate (rarely 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.

glabrous, veins scabrous or strigose;

lower glumes 4-7 mm;

upper glumes 4-9 mm, mostly glabrous, sometimes scabrous or strigose over the veins, apices acute, unawned or awn-tipped, awns about 1 mm;

lowest lemmas 4.5-8 mm, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent basally, 3-awned, awns wide basally, central awns slightly longer than the lateral awns, often flanked by 2 membranous 0.5-1.5 mm lobes;

lowest paleas 6-8 mm, bilobed, often shortly 2-awned;

anthers 3-5.5 mm, usually orange or yellow, occasionally red or purple;

second lemmas 5.5-7 mm, glabrous, 3-awned, central awns 4-10 mm, often flanked by membranous lobes, lateral awns 2-10 mm;

second paleas 4-7 mm;

anthers smaller than those of the lowest florets;

rachillas prolonged beyond the second florets as a short bristle.

3-4 mm.

= (20), 40, 41-103.

= 20, 40, 60.