Flora of North America species comparison

5-15 cm, erect or geniculate.

10-30 cm, erect or geniculate, glabrous.

primarily basal;

lower sheaths densely villous basally, mostly glabrous or sparsely pilose distally, throats densely ciliate;

blades 1-5 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, stiff, flat to involute, abaxial surfaces glabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous and pilose, margins scabrous.

primarily basal;

lower sheaths overlapping, densely villous basally, throats pilose;

upper sheaths not overlapping, glabrous;

ligules about 0.3 mm;

blades 3-12 cm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, involute or flat, glabrous abaxially, scabrous and sparsely pilose adaxially, hairs to 2 mm.

with 3-10 branches;

branches divergent, dimorphic, bearing staminate or bisexual spikelets, spikelets usually reddish or purple.

with 5-7 branches;

branches about 5 mm, dimorphic, staminate or bisexual, the 2 forms sometimes on different plants, sometimes mixed within a panicle, spikelets of 1 form all staminate, bisexual form with pistillate (sometimes bisexual) central spikelets and well-developed staminate or sterile lateral spikelets, spikelets frequently pale green.

branches: all spikelets similar;

lower glumes to 1 mm, often reduced to a scale, 0-1-veined;

upper glumes 1/2 - 2/3 as long as the spikelets, narrowly trullate to lanceolate, usually glabrous, veins sometimes sparsely pilose, glumes of the lateral spikelets about 2.5 mm, acute or acuminate, those of the central spikelets about 3 mm, minutely lobed and mucronate;

lowest lemmas to 3 mm, sparsely pilose, with short lobes, mucronate between the lobes;

distal lemmas to 2.5 mm, similar to the lowest lemmas but with deeper lobes;

anthers 0.7-2 mm.

branches: all spikelets similar;

lower glumes about 1 mm;

upper glumes glabrous or almost so, those of the lateral spikelets about 3 mm, those of the central spikelets about 4 mm;

lemmas similar, about 3 mm, glabrous, irregularly lobed, unawned, sometimes mucronate.

branches: lateral spikelets poorly developed, lower glumes to 1 mm, upper glumes to 2.5 mm, veins pilose, florets greatly reduced, sometimes just a cluster of awns, sterile (rarely staminate);

central spikelets with glumes similar to those of the lateral spikelets;

lowest florets pistillate, lemmas about 3 mm, scabrous, lobed, lobes about 1/4 as long as the lemmas, awned from the sinuses, awns slightly exceeding the lobes;

distal florets staminate or sterile, about 2.5 mm, deeply lobed, awned from the sinuses, awns exceeding the lobes by 1-3 mm.

branches: glumes villous;

lateral spikelets with staminate or sterile florets;

lemmas of lateral spikelets about 3 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, irregularly lobed, awned from the sinuses, awns hispid, equaling or occasionally exceeding the lobes;

anthers 1.7-2.3 mm;

central spikelets with the lowest floret pistillate, distal florets staminate or sterile;

lowest lemmas glabrous or sparsely pubescent, lobed, lobes about 1/3 as long as the lemmas, awned from the sinuses, awns glabrous, subequal to the lobes or the central awns slightly longer;

distal florets similar to those of the lateral florets, awns 1-2 mm longer than the lobes.

= 20, 40, 60, and 80.

= 20.