Flora of North America species comparison

20-45 cm, about 1 mm thick, ascending to erect from a hard knotty base, often branching;

nodes pubescent.

50-80(100) cm, about 2 mm thick, usually rather robust, erect or somewhat geniculate at the base, often branching;

nodes pubescent.

usually shorter than the internodes, more or less pubescent;

ligules about 0.5 mm;

blades mostly 2-12 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, more or less hairy, soon involute.

mostly shorter than the internodes, somewhat loose;

blades 6-12(20) cm long, 1-7(10) mm wide, flat, becoming involute, apices attenuate.

2-10 cm, spikelike, grayish-green or lead-colored.

10-20(30) cm long, to 3 cm wide at the base, loosely contracted to somewhat open.

mostly 5-7 mm, usually only the lowest floret bisexual.

3.2-6.8 mm.

3-5 mm, subequal, thin, puberulent;

upper glumes often 3- or 4-veined;

lowest lemmas 1.5-2 mm, firm, rounded on the back;

awns 3-4 mm;

anthers 0.3-0.5 mm.

2.8-5.1 mm;

upper glumes 3.2-6.8 mm, 3-veined;

lowest lemmas 1.5-2 mm;

awns 2.5-5 mm, usually exceeding the glumes;

anthers 1-1.8 mm.

1-1.2 mm, oval, plump;

embryos subequal to the caryopses.

spikelets commonly present in the lower sheaths, their lemmas larger than those of the florets in the aerial panicles, unawned or with awns that are much reduced.

= 20.

= 40.