Flora of North America species comparison

15-95 cm, erect or decumbent and rooting at the lower nodes.

15-80 cm.

glabrous;

ligules 0.3-0.5 mm, erose to lacerate;

blades to 15 cm long, 0.3-0.6 mm wide, with basal hairs, otherwise usually glabrous.

glabrous;

ligules ciliate;

blades 3-15 cm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely pilose near the base.

digitate, with 7-15 evidently distinct branches;

branches 3-8 cm, more or less erect, averaging 14 spikelets per cm.

with 2-4 branches, these entangled for most of their length, separable only with difficulty, forming a narrow, cylindrical, spikelike inflorescence, individual branches visibly distinct only at the tips;

branches 3-12 cm, tightly appressed and adherent, with 9-12 spikelets per cm.

with 1 bisexual and 2(3) sterile florets.

imbricate, with 1 bisexual and 3 sterile florets.

1.2-2.1 mm;

upper glumes 2.3-2.7 mm;

lowest lemmas 2-2.7 mm, ovate to elliptic, calluses and distal portion of the margins pilose, hairs to 1 mm, keels glabrous or pilose, apices awned, awns 4-7.7 mm;

second florets 0.9-1.3 mm long, 0.4-0.9 mm wide, slightly to strongly widened distally, inflated, usually glabrous, truncate, awned, awns 5-7 mm;

third florets obovoid to subspherical, smaller than the first, strongly inflated.

1.5-2 mm long, about 0.3 mm wide;

upper glumes 2.1-2.6 mm long, 0.3-0.6 mm wide;

lowest lemmas 2.7-3.5 mm, ovate, margins and keels hairy, hairs to 2 mm, awns 2.7-3.4 mm;

second florets about 1.9 mm, glabrous, awned;

distal florets unawned.

1.1-1.4 mm.

1.2-1.8 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, trigonous.

= 20, 40, ca. 50.

= 40.