Flora of North America species comparison

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

20-60 cm, stiffly erect, glabrous.

mostly glabrous, a few long hairs present near the ligules;

ligules 0.2-0.5 mm, of hairs;

blades 6-16 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, involute when dry, glabrous, bases usually with papillose-based hairs on the margins.

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.

5-10(14) cm, with 15-70 branches;

branches 5-9 mm, deciduous, scabrous, with 1 spikelet (lower branches occasionally with 2 spikelets), axes extending 3-4 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, with 1 bisexual and 0-1 rudimentary florets.

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.

acute to slightly cleft and minutely apiculate, midveins usually scabrous;

lower glumes 2.5-4 mm;

upper glumes 6.2-8 mm, mostly smooth, midveins usually scabrous;

lowest lemmas 6-7.5 mm, acute or minutely cleft, glabrous, unawned, sometimes mucronate;

lowest paleas unawned, glabrous;

anthers 2.5-3 mm, bright yellow;

second florets absent or reduced to 1 or 3 short awns, glabrous.

about 3 mm.

= (20), 40, 41-103.

= 20.