Flora of North America species comparison

40-80 cm, disarticulating at the nodes when mature.

30-80(100) cm, not disarticulating at maturity.

glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose, usually reddish above the nodes;

blades to 30 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, flexible but not curled at maturity, glabrous, sometimes scabrous, uppermost cauline blades erect to ascending.

glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

blades 15-25 cm long, to 4 mm wide, glabrous or scabrous (rarely pilose), uppermost cauline blades erect or diverging less than 20° from the culm at maturity.

with (4)6-17 spikelets;

branches usually flexible, usually divergent, sometimes strongly so, after anthesis;

lower branches with 2-3 spikelets;

pedicels on the lowest branch as long as or longer than the spikelets.

usually paniculate, sometimes racemose, with (3)4-11 spikelets;

branches appressed to ascending, somewhat flexible;

pedicels on the lowest branch from shorter than to as long as the spikelets.

(7)10-16 mm.

16-24 mm.

1.7-2.6 mm long, 0.7-1.1 mm wide.

rarely produced, 3.5-5.2 mm long, 0.9-1.8 mm wide.

of middle florets about as long as wide, convex abaxially;

lemma bodies 2.5-5 mm, pilose over the back, sometimes sparsely so, margins pilose to beyond midlength, distal hairs 0.5-2 mm, apical teeth 2-4 mm, aristate, (1/2)2/3 or more as long as the lemma bodies;

awns 6-10 mm;

anthers to 2.2 mm.

of middle florets longer than wide, concave abaxially;

lemma bodies 5.5-10 mm, backs usually pilose, especially near the base (rarely glabrous), margins pilose, teeth 2.5-8 mm, aristate;

awns 12-15 mm;

anthers to 6.5 mm.

= 36.

= 36.