Flora of North America species comparison

30-75 cm, erect.

15-80 cm.

glabrous;

ligules about 0.5 mm, shortly ciliate;

blades to 20 cm long, to 5 mm wide, sometimes with long basal hairs, otherwise scabrous.

glabrous;

ligules ciliate;

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

with 5-17, evidently distinct branches in 1-3 closely-spaced whorls;

branches to 7 cm, usually erect when young, spreading to reflexed at maturity, averaging 12 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 1 staminate floret.

imbricate, with 1 bisexual and 3 sterile florets.

1.5-3.2 mm;

upper glumes 2.5-3.4 mm;

lowest lemmas 2.8-3.7 mm long, 0.6-1.1 mm wide, broadly linear to elliptic, mostly glabrous but the margins appressed pubescent, apices obtuse, not conspicuously bilobed, sometimes shortly mucronate;

second florets 1.4-2.2 mm long, 0.3-0.9 mm wide, usually at least twice as long as wide, not lobed, unawned, occasionally mucronate.

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.

1.7-2.3 mm long, 0.5-0.6 mm wide, ellipsoid.

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

= ca. 65, 80.

= 40.