Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

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

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

Iigules (0.2)0.5-1.5 mm;

blades 2-8 mm wide, flat or loosely convolute, smooth or scabrous, veins 9-35, ribs obscure;

abaxial sclerenchyma in narrow strands;

adaxial sclerenchyma developed;

girders or pillars usually associated with the major veins.

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

branches lax, ascending to spreading, spikelets clustered towards the ends of the branches, closely imbricate.

(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.

4-7(7.5) mm, elliptic to obovate, with 3-5(8) florets.

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

lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, scabrous at least on the veins;

lower glumes (2.5)3-4(5) mm, usually almost as long as the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes (3.5)4-5(5.5) mm;

lemmas 4-5(5.2) mm, stiffly chartaceous, ovate to obovate, glabrous, somewhat acute, unawned;

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

anthers (0.7)1-2(2.5) mm;

ovary apices pubescent.

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.

= unknown.

= 14.