Flora of North America species comparison

to 300 cm, erect.

15-80 cm.

glabrous or scabrous, often ciliate apically;

ligules ciliate;

blades to 30 cm long, 15 mm wide, scabrous.

glabrous;

ligules ciliate;

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

digitate, with 9-30 evidently distinct branches;

branches 8-20 cm, usually somewhat divaricate, spikelet-bearing to the base, averaging 10 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.

strongly imbricate, tawny, with 1 bisexual and (1)2-4 usually staminate, sometimes sterile florets.

imbricate, with 1 bisexual and 3 sterile florets.

1.4-2.8 mm;

upper glumes 2.2-3.5 mm;

lowest lemmas 2.5-4.2 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide, ovate to obovate or elliptic, somewhat gibbous, sides not grooved, pubescence variable, sides usually glabrous, sometimes scabrous or appressed pubescent, margins usually glabrous or appressed pubescent on the lower portions, sometimes throughout their length, sometimes with strongly divergent hairs distally, occasionally with strongly divergent hairs their entire length, divergent hairs, when present, 1+ mm, lemma apices inconspicuously bilobed, awned, awns 1.5-6.5 mm;

second florets staminate or sterile, 2.2-3.2 mm long, 0.3-1 mm wide, similar to the first floret but more cylindrical, not widened distally, inflated, if at all, only near the apices, inconspicuously bilobed, awned, awns 0.8-3.2 mm;

distal florets progressively smaller, longer than the subtending rachilla segment, awn-tipped or unawned.

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.

1-1.5 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide.

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

= 20, 30, 40.

= 40.