Flora of North America species comparison

to 300 cm, erect.

30-70(200) cm, erect or somewhat decumbent.

glabrous or scabrous, often ciliate apically;

ligules ciliate;

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

glabrous or sparsely to densely pilose;

blades to 30 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, with coarse hairs behind the ligule and on the lower portion of the margins.

digitate, with 9-30 evidently distinct branches;

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

digitate, with 5-9 clearly distinct or easily separable branches;

branches 3-5 cm, with 5-7 spikelets per cm.

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

barely imbricate, pale to dark gray, often mottled when mature, with 1 bisexual and (1)2 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.

1.1-1.6 mm;

upper glumes 1.9-2.3 mm, awned, awns to 0.3 mm;

lowest lemmas 2.3-3.5 mm, broadly ovate or elliptic, keels gibbous, sides with a conspicuous glabrous or pubescent groove, margins glabrous or appressed pubescent, apices awned, awns to 6 mm;

second florets 1.5-2.2 mm, widened and inflated distally, mucronate or awned, awns to 3 mm;

distal florets less than 1 mm, turbinate;

anthers 0.4-0.5 mm.

1-1.5 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide.

1.3-1.5 mm long, 0.5-0.6 mm wide, trigonous.

= 20, 30, 40.

= 20, 30.