Flora of North America species comparison

20-90 cm, sometimes decumbent, often with many branches arising from the base.

strongly compressed-keeled;

ligules 0.6-1.8 mm;

blades 4-27 cm long, 1.5-5(7.5) mm wide, adaxial surfaces scabrous or sparsely pilose.

1.5-8(10) cm;

fascicles 8.3-11.9 mm long, 3.5-6 mm wide, somewhat globose, medium- to short-pubescent;

bristles 45-75;

outer bristles numerous, shorter and thinner than the inner bristles, imbricate, mostly terete, reflexed;

inner bristles 3.5-7 mm long, 0.5-0.9(1.4) mm wide at the base, irregularly placed, fused for 1/2 their length or more, forming a distinct cupule, the distal portions diverging at irregular intervals from the cupule, often grooved along the margins, purple-tinged.

2-3(4) per fascicle, (4)5.8-7.8 mm.

0.8-3 mm;

upper glumes 4-6 mm, 3-5-veined;

lower florets often staminate;

lower lemmas 4-6.5 mm, 3-7-veined;

anthers 1.5-2 mm;

upper lemmas 4-7(7.6) mm;

anthers 0.7-1 mm, seemingly not well-developed at anthesis.

2-3.8 mm long, 1.5-2.6 mm wide, ovoid.

= 34 (38).