Flora of North America species comparison

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

to 100 cm, erect, not branching at the lower nodes;

nodes 1-2.

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.

with appressed hairs, lower sheaths densely hairy, upper sheaths sparingly hairy near the base, otherwise glabrous;

ligules 2-3 mm;

blades 10-40 cm long, to 3 mm wide, usually flat, involute when dry.

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.

with 2-4 spikelike branches on 4-6 cm rachises;

primary branches 20-25 cm long, axes triquetrous, not winged;

primary branches bearing spikelets in unequally pedicellate groups of 3(-5) on the basal 1/2;

secondary branches rarely present, longer pedicels often adnate to the branch axes basally.

2.4-3.5 mm, homomorphic, ovate.

2.2-2.5 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, elliptic, acute.

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.

absent;

upper glumes 3-veined, margins and intercostal regions with long, glandular-tipped hairs;

lower lemmas 7-veined, margins and the region between the 2 inner marginal veins with long glandular hairs;

upper lemmas light to dark brown at maturity, striate, apiculate.

= 70, 72.

= unknown.