Flora of North America species comparison

to 120 cm tall, bases long-decumbent and rooting at the lower nodes.

20-60 cm, erect;

lower nodes glabrous or pubescent;

upper nodes glabrous.

with papillose-based hairs;

ligules 2.5-3.5 mm;

blades 4-28 cm long, 4-12 mm wide, scabrous, usually with some scattered papillose-based hairs on the base of the adaxial surfaces, sometimes with hairs all over.

mainly cauline;

sheaths usually glabrous, lower sheaths sometimes pubescent;

ligules 0.4-1 mm, truncate, entire to lacerate;

blades 5-11.5 cm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, glabrous, usually flat or folded.

with 3-11 spikelike primary branches in 1-several whorls, rachises to 6 cm;

primary branches 5-15 cm, axes wing-margined, wings more than 1/2 as wide as the midribs, lower and middle portions bearing spikelets in unequally pedicellate pairs;

secondary branches absent;

shorter pedicels 0.3-0.8 mm;

longer pedicels 1.7-2.7 mm.

simple, 12-24 cm long, 19-40 cm wide, open;

nodes hispid;

branches divergent;

lower primary branches 10-21 cm, with 1-several sterile branches near the base;

pedicels divergent, spikelets solitary.

2.4-3.5 mm, homomorphic, ovate.

3.5-4.6 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, elliptical.

absent or to 0.1 mm;

upper glumes 0.2-1.3 mm, 1/6 - 1/3 as long as the spikelets, 1-3-veined, margins and apices with appressed, white hairs about 0.5 mm, truncate or bilobed;

lower lemmas (5)7-veined, veins smooth or scabrous only over the distal 1/3, unequally spaced, margins and lateral intercostal regions silky-ciliate;

upper lemmas tan or gray when immature, brown at maturity, acuminate;

anthers 0.6-1.3 mm.

0.2-0.5 mm;

upper glumes 3-3.8 mm, 5-7-veined, densely villous between the veins, hairs white, becoming purple at maturity;

lower lemmas similar to the upper glumes in size, texture, and pubescence;

upper lemmas 3-3.7 mm, narrowly acute, dark brown;

anthers 1.1-1.4 mm.

1.5-2 mm.

= 70, 72.

= 36, 37.