Flora of North America species comparison

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

(10)15-30(42) cm, disarticulating at the nodes 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.

usually densely pilose, hairs sometimes papillose-based (upper sheaths sometimes glabrous);

blades 3-8(20) cm long, 1-3 mm wide, both surfaces sparsely to densely pilose, sometimes also scabrous or hirsute (rarely glabrous).

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.

with 1-2(3) spikelets, if more than 1, racemose;

pedicels stiff, appressed, shorter than the spikelets.

(7)10-16 mm.

(8)12-26 mm.

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

2.2-4 mm long, about 1 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 5.5-11 mm, glabrous over the back (rarely with a few scattered hairs), margins pilose (rarely glabrous), apical teeth 1.5-7 mm, acute to aristate;

awns 5.5-13 mm;

anthers to 3.5 mm.

= 36.

= 36.