Flora of North America species comparison

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.

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 staminate (rarely rudimentary) floret.

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, 60.