Flora of North America species comparison

(10)30-50(70) cm, glabrous, smooth.

(25)30-90(120) cm, glabrous or slightly scabrous;

nodes usually not exposed.

closed for about 1/2 their length, glabrous, smooth or scabrous distally, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules shorter than 0.3 mm;

blades 0.3-0.7(1.2) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins 5-7(9), ribs 1-3, indistinct;

abaxial sclerenchyma usually a continuous band;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

closed for less than 1/3 their length, glabrous or scabrous, persistent, not shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.2-0.6 (1) mm;

blades deciduous, 2-4 mm wide, convolute, conduplicate, sometimes flat, 1-2.5 mm in diameter when conduplicate, yellow-green to dark green, abaxial surfaces scabrous, adaxial surfaces glabrous or pubescent, smooth or scabrous, veins 7-15(17), ribs 5-9;

abaxial sclerenchyma in strands about as wide as the adjacent veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma present;

girders associated with the major veins.

(2)5-10(12) cm, contracted, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

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

5-16 cm, open, often secund, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

branches lax, spreading, lower branches usually recurved or reflexed, spikelets borne towards the ends of the branches.

4-6(7.3) mm, with 3-6(8) florets.

8-14 mm, usually purple, lustrous, with 3-4(6) florets.

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

lower glumes 1-2(3) mm;

upper glumes (2.2)2.6-4(4.6) mm;

lemmas (2.6)3-4(5) mm, ovate-lanceolate, mostly smooth, sometimes scabrous or hispid near the apices, awns 0.5-2 mm, terminal, sometimes absent;

paleas about equal to the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers (1.4)2-2.6 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

glabrous or slightly scabrous, distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas;

lower glumes 4-6.8(8.5) mm;

upper glumes (4.5)5.3-7.5(10) mm;

lemmas (6.5)7.5-9(12) mm, chartaceous, scabrous, at least on the veins, keeled on the lo'ver 1/2, veins 5, prominent, apices attenuate or short-awned, awns 0.2-0.7 mm;

paleas about as long as or a little shorter than the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers 2.6-4.5(5) mm;

ovary apices usually sparsely pubescent, rarely glabrous.

= 14, 28.

= 28.