Flora of North America species comparison

(5)8-35(55) cm, erect, usually smooth and glabrous, sometimes sparsely scabrous or puberulent near the inflorescence.

(30)40-90(140) cm, scabrous near the inflorescence;

nodes usually not exposed.

closed for about 1/2 their length, smooth or scabrous, persistent or slowly shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.4 mm;

blades (0.3)0.5-1(1.2) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces smooth or sparsely scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins (3)5-7, ribs 3-5;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3-7(9) narrow strands, usually less than twice as wide as high;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent;

flag leaf sheaths not inflated, more or less tightly enclosing the culms;

flag leaf blades (0.3)1-2.5(3) cm.

closed for less than 1/3 their length, glabrous or scabrous, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades 0.8-2 mm in diameter, usually conduplicate, rarely convolute, gray-green, deciduous, abaxial surfaces scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or puberulent, veins (8)11-15(17), ribs (6)7-11;

abaxial sclerenchyma usually forming a more or less continuous band;

adaxial sclerenchyma developed;

girders at the 5-7 major veins;

pillars at some of the other veins.

1.5-4(5.5) cm, contracted, usually panicles, very rarely racemes, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches usually erect, sometimes spreading at anthesis, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

(5)9-18(25) cm, open or loosely contracted, with (1)2(3) branches per node;

branches erect to stiffly spreading.

3.5-7(8.5) mm, with 2-4(6) florets.

8-13(16) mm, with (3)4-5(7) florets.

exceeded by the upper florets, ovate-lanceolate, usually glabrous and smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes (1.2)1.8-3(3.5) mm;

upper glumes (2.4)2.6-4(4.6) mm;

lemmas 2.5-4.5(6) mm, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, scabrous towards the apices, awns (0.8)1-3(3.5) mm, terminal;

paleas about as long as the lemmas, intercostal region scabrous or puberulent distally;

anthers (0.5)0.7-1.1(1.3) mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

exceeded by the distal florets;

lower glumes 4.5-7.5(8.5) mm, shorter than or about equaling the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes 5.3-8.2(9) mm;

lemmas (6.2)7-8.5(10) mm, chartaceous to somewhat coriaceous, scabrous, backs rounded below the middle, veins more or less obscure, apices mucronate or shortly awned, awns to 1.5 mm;

paleas somewhat shorter than the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers (3.3) 4.5-6 mm;

ovary apices pubescent.

= 28, 42, 44.

= 56.