Flora of North America species comparison

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

5-15(20) cm, up to twice as tall as the vegetative shoot leaves, usually erect, sometimes semi-prostrate, glabrous, smooth.

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, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades 0.5-1 mm in diameter, conduplicate, often curved or somewhat falcate, abaxial surfaces smooth or sparsely scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins 5-7, ribs 3-5;

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

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.

1-2(2.5) cm, contracted, usually panicles, sometimes racemes, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches erect, lower branches usually with 1-2 spikelets, sometimes more.

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

(3)4-5.5(7) mm, with 3-4(6) 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, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, mostly glabrous and smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes 1-3.5 mm;

upper glumes 2.2-3.2 mm;

lemmas 2.9-3.5(4.4) mm, ovate, apices scabrous and minutely bidentate, awns (0.5)1.4-2(3) mm, usually slightly subterminal, curved or slightly twisted;

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

anthers 0.4-0.8(1.1) mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

leaf sheaths usually somewhat inflated;

flag leaf blades 0.5-5(8) mm.

= 28.

= 28.