Flora of North America species comparison

to 150 cm, 2-4 mm thick at the nodes, rarely branched, leafy for 80% of their height.

35-150 cm, simple or branched.

glabrous;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.7-1 mm, entire;

blades (7)9-18(22) cm long, (4)10-22 mm wide, lanceolate-fusiform, usually glabrous, sometimes pilose adaxially.

cauline;

ligules membranous, ciliate;

blades not pseudopetiolate, flat.

(8)10-25(35) cm, open, lax;

branches nodding or drooping;

axils of panicle branches sparsely pilose;

pedicels 10-30 mm.

open or contracted, sometimes becoming racemose distally;

disarticulation above the glumes and between the florets.

15-40(50) mm long, 6-16(20) mm wide, with 6-17(26) florets, lower 1-3 florets sterile, fertile florets diverging to 45°.

4-50 mm, laterally compressed, with 2-many florets, lower 1-4 florets sterile.

2, subequal, shorter than the spikelets, glabrous, (2)3-9-veined, acute to acuminate;

lemmas glabrous, 3-15-veined, compressed-keeled, keels serrate or ciliate, apices acuminate to acute, entire (rarely bifid);

paleas glabrous, gibbous basally, 2-keeled, keels winged, wings glabrous, scabrous, or pilose;

lodicules 2, fleshy, cuneate, 2-4-veined, lobed-truncate;

anthers 1;

ovaries glabrous;

styles 2;

style branches 2, plumose, reddish-purple at anthesis.

4.2-9.1 mm, 5-7-veined;

upper glumes 4.7-8.7 mm, 5-9-veined;

calluses pilose;

fertile lemmas 9-12.5 mm, straight, 11-15-veined, keels winged, wings scabrous to pilose their full length;

paleas 4.6-7.7 mm;

anthers (0.4)0.6-2.6(3.5) mm, the length varying within a spikelet.

2.9-5 mm, enclosed, rarely exposed at maturity.

1.9-5 mm, laterally compressed, brown to reddish-black or black, x = 12.

= 48.