Flora of North America species comparison

30-130 cm, erect to slightly decumbent;

nodes 4-9, concealed or exposed, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent.

50-100 cm.

evenly distributed;

sheaths usually glabrous, rarely hirsute, occasionally reddish or purplish;

auricles absent or to 1.8 mm, pale brown;

ligules shorter than 1 mm;

blades 2-14(18) mm wide, usually spreading or lax, sometimes becoming involute, basal blades similar to the upper blades, adaxial surfaces usually smooth, sometimes scabridulous, usually glabrous, occasionally pubescent.

sometimes somewhat basally concentrated;

sheaths pilose or glabrous proximally;

auricles 0.3-1 mm;

ligules 0.25-1.5 mm;

blades 6-10 mm wide, usually flat, abaxial surfaces glabrous or sparsely pilose, adaxial surfaces usually sparsely pilose over the veins, sometimes glabrous, veins smooth, widely spaced, primary veins prominent, separated by the secondary veins.

(3)4-16(22) cm long, 1-2.2(2.5) cm wide, erect, the bases often sheathed, with 2 spikelets per node, rarely with 3 at some nodes;

internodes 3-5 mm long, 0.25-0.5 thick at the thinnest sections, smooth and glabrous, or scabrous, or with hairs beneath the spikelets.

5-15 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, erect, usually with 1 spikelet per node, occasionally with 2 at a few nodes;

internodes 4-6(9.5) mm long, 0.5-1.2 mm wide, smooth or scabrous, glabrous, evenly puberulent, or sparsely pilose, hairs to 0.3 mm.

10-15 mm, appressed to slightly divergent, with (2)3-4(6) florets, lowest florets functional;

disarticulation below the glumes and each floret, or the lowest floret falling with the glumes.

10-27 mm, appressed to ascending, with 4-7 florets;

disarticulation above the glumes, beneath each floret.

subequal or equal, the basal 1-4 mm terete, indurate, without evident venation, bowed out, yellowish, glume bodies 7-15 mm long, (0.5)0.7-2.3 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, widening above the base, 3-5(8)-veined, usually smooth or scabridulous, margins firm, awns 3-10(15) mm, straight;

lemmas 6-10 mm, scabridulous, glabrous or villous-hirsute, awns (5)8-20(25) mm, straight;

paleas 5-9 mm, obtuse;

anthers 2-3.5(4) mm.

oblong, glabrous, keeled distally, keels inconspicuous and smooth proximally, scabrous and conspicuous distally, lateral veins inconspicuous, hyaline margins present in the distal 1/2, apices acute, unawned or awned, awns to 3 mm;

lower glumes 8.8-11.4 mm, 3-6-veined;

upper glumes 7-12 mm, 5-7-veined;

lemmas 8-12 mm, glabrous, mostly smooth, sometimes scabridulous distally, unawned or with a 0.2-4(10) mm awn, awns straight;

paleas 7-9.5 mm, keels ciliate from 1/2 to almost the entire length, apices emarginate, truncate, or rounded;

anthers 4-7 mm.

usually mid-June to late July (mid-August).

= 28.

= 22, 42.