Flora of North America species comparison

30-75 cm, erect.

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

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 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.

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.

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

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

with 1 bisexual and 1 staminate floret.

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

1.1-1.6 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.

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

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

= ca. 65, 80.

= 20, 30.