Flora of North America species comparison

(25)40-80(110) cm, glabrous, smooth.

40-125 cm, glabrous.

closed for much less than 1/2 their length, glabrous, somewhat persistent or slowly shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.4 mm, usually longer at the sides;

blades all alike, 0.3-0.7 mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabridulous, veins (3)5, ribs 1-5;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7 narrow strands, about as wide as the adjacent veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

closed for less than 1/3 their length, glabrous or pubescent, shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous or pubescent;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades 2-6(8) mm wide, flat or loosely convolute, abaxial surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, adaxial surfaces pubescent, veins 13-29, ribs obscure to prominent;

abaxial sclerenchyma in strands;

adaxial sclerenchyma developed;

pillars or girders present at the major veins.

(5)10-20 cm, open, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches 1-15 cm, lax, widely spreading to reflexed, lower branches usually reflexed at maturity, with 2+ spikelets.

7-20 cm, open, with 1(2) branches per node;

branches lax, spreading.

6-12 mm, with 3-6(7) florets.

8-12.5 mm, with (2)3-5 florets.

exceeded by the upper florets, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous and smooth or slightly scabrous;

lower glumes 2-5 mm;

upper glumes 3-6 mm;

lemmas (4)4.5-6.5(8) mm, ovate-lanceolate to attenuate, glabrous or finely puberulent, awns 3-12 mm, usually longer than the lemma bodies;

paleas slightly shorter than the lemmas, intercostal region scabrous or puberulent distally;

anthers (1)1.5-2(3) mm;

ovary apices densely pubescent.

glabrous, lanceolate to subulate;

lower glumes (2)2.5-4 mm;

upper glumes 3.5-5.5(6) mm;

calluses much longer than wide, pubescent at least basally;

lemmas 6-9 mm, lanceolate, puberulent, particularly towards the bases, sometimes slightly scabrous, particularly towards the apices, apices minutely bidentate, awned, awns 10-15 mm, slightly subterminal, flexuous, or kinked;

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

anthers (2)2.5-4 mm;

ovary apices pubescent.

= 28 [other numbers have been reported for this species, but are probably based on misidentifications].

= 28.