Flora of North America species comparison

to 300 cm, erect.

30-45 cm.

glabrous or scabrous, often ciliate apically;

ligules ciliate;

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

glabrous or sparsely pilose;

ligules membranous, not or only shortly ciliate;

blades to 15 cm long, about 4 mm wide, scabrous.

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 8-10 clearly separate branches, these usually digitate, occasionally a poorly-developed second whorl present just below the terminal whorl;

branches to 20 cm, divergent, basal 2-5 cm without spikelets, averaging 3-4 spikelets per cm elsewhere.

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

with 1 bisexual and 1 sterile floret.

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.

2.7-3 mm;

upper glumes 3.5-3.8 mm;

lowest lemmas 3.7-4.3 mm long, 0.7-0.8 mm wide, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, sides not conspicuously grooved, margins glabrous or sparsely appressed pubescent distally with hairs shorter than 1 mm, apices acute, awned, awns 7-11 mm;

second florets 2-2.5 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide, narrowly elliptic, acute, inconspicuously bilobed, awns 4.5-6.5 mm.

1-1.5 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide.

about 2.3 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide, ellipsoid, trigonous.

= 20, 30, 40.

= unknown.