Flora of North America species comparison

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

20-35(50) cm, stiffly erect.

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.

bluish-green, more or less glaucous;

sheaths mostly glabrous, hairs present distally;

ligules 1-1.5 mm, of hairs;

blades 5-15(25) cm long, 1-1.5(2.5) mm wide, stiffly erect or curving, involute when dry; mostly glabrous, ligular area with long and short hairs, 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.

5-13(20) cm, with 9-15(30) branches;

branches 4-5.5 mm, deciduous, scabrous, with 2-6 spikelets, axes terminating well 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.

5-6.5 mm, with 1 bisexual and 1 sterile floret, appressed, all alike, green, often with a brownish or purplish cast.

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.

slightly shorter than the upper glumes, both usually exceeded by the lemmas of the lowest florets;

upper glumes glabrous, sometimes scabrous;

lowest lemmas glabrous, acute, 3-awned, awns less than 1 mm, central awns not flanked by 2 membranous lobes;

anthers 2.2-3.7 mm, dark purple;

second florets sterile, usually without paleas;

second lemmas reduced to a glabrous awn column, sometimes moderately well-developed and 3-awned, awns usually not exserted, central awns to 2.5 mm.

= (20), 40, 41-103.

= 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 38, 40.