Flora of North America species comparison

10-150 cm, herbaceous, glabrous, branching both at and above the base.

to 62 cm, often branching;

lower internodes 6-10 mm thick.

open;

ligules membranous, ciliate.

glabrous;

ligules 1-2 mm, ciliate, with 1-2 mm hairs;

blades 10-60 cm long, 6-12 mm wide, sometimes longer than the culms, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent.

subdigitate, with 4-20 branches, 1(2) of the branches attached below the terminal cluster;

branches 4-17 cm long, 5-15 mm wide, spreading at maturity.

terminal, panicles of (1)2-20 non-disarticulating, spikelike branches, exceeding the upper leaves;

branches 1-17 cm, all or most in a digitate cluster, sometimes 1(2) branch(es) attached immediately below the terminal whorl, axes flattened, terminating in a functional spikelet.

3.5-11 mm, laterally compressed, with 2-15 bisexual florets;

disarticulation above the glumes and between the florets (E. coracana not disarticulating).

5-9 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, with 2-9 florets, sometimes not disarticulating at maturity.

unequal, shorter than the lower lemmas;

lower glumes 1-3-veined;

upper glumes 3-5(7)-veined;

lemmas 3-veined, glabrous, keeled, apices entire, neither mucronate nor awned;

paleas sometimes with winged keels;

anthers 3, 0.5-1 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

1.2-3 mm, 2- or 3-veined;

upper glumes 2.2-6.5 mm;

lemmas 2.2-5 mm;

anthers about 1 mm.

modified caryopses, pericarp thin, separating from the seed at an early stage in its development;

seeds usually obtusely trigonous, the surfaces ornamented, x = 8, 9, 10.

oblong-globose, granular, usually exposed at maturity.

= 36.