Flora of North America species comparison

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

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.

more or less stiff, setaceous if lax, usually conduplicate, sometimes convolute or flat;

ribs usually distinct;

sclerenchyma usually only developed on the adaxial surface, sometimes forming pillars or girders at the major veins.

(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.

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

mostly intravaginal.

wider than long, scabrous on the margins;

lemmas chartaceous, apices usually entire, rarely minutely bidentate, usually awned, sometimes unawned;

ovary apices usually pubescent, sometimes sparsely pubescent, rarely glabrous.

= 28.