Flora of North America species comparison

25-85 (100) cm, usually smooth, glabrous, occasionally scabrous below the inflorescences.

(25)50-80(105) cm, erect, glabrous and smooth throughout.

closed for less than 1/2 their length, smooth or scabrous, rarely pilose, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.2-0.6 mm;

blades (0.3)0.5-0.9(1.5) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent, rarely pilose, often glaucous or bluish, veins (3)5(7), ribs (1)3-5, well defined;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7 wide, irregular strands;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

closed for about 1/2 their length, glabrous, smooth, usually reddish blue towards the bases, persistent, flag leaf sheaths tightly enclosing the culms;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades 0.6-1.2(1.5) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins (5)7-9, ribs 5-9;

abaxial sclerenchyma in (5)7-9 broad strands, rarely some strands confluent;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

(5)7-15(20) cm, loosely contracted or open, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches usually somewhat spreading at maturity, sometimes erect, rarely reflexed, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

(3)8-18 (25) cm, open or loosely contracted, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

branches somewhat lax, erect to spreading, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

(5.8) 7.5-13.5(19) mm, with (2)4-7(9) florets.

(5)6-8.5(10) mm, with (3)4-6(8) florets.

exceeded by the upper florets, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, mostly smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes 2.4-5(6) mm;

upper glumes 3-6(8) mm;

lemmas 5-8.5(10) mm, scabrous at the apices, awns (1.5)3-6(7) mm, usually more than 1/2 as long as the lemma bodies;

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

anthers 2.4-4.5 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

exceeded by the upper florets, lanceolate, mostly smooth and glabrous, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes 2.5-4 mm;

upper glumes 3-5(5.5) mm;

lemmas (3.5)4-5.6(6.6) mm, usually smooth, sometimes scabrous near the apices, lanceolate, usually acute, sometimes obtuse, unawned, occasionally mucronate;

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

anthers (2)3-4 mm;

ovary apices glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

= 28.

= 14.