Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

8-25(40) cm, erect, smooth, glabrous or pubescent below the inflorescence.

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, smooth or scabrous, glabrous or puberulent, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades 0.4-0.8(1) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, pubescent, or pilose, all conditions often present on the same plant, scabrous at the apices, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent on the ribs, veins 5-7, ribs 3-5, 1 distinct and 2-4 indistinct;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3 strands, 2 marginal and 1 opposite the midvein, rarely with 2 additional strands, the strands narrower than the veins and usually less than twice as wide as high;

adaxial sclerenchyma strands absent;

flag leaf blades 0.5-2 cm.

(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.

2-3.5 cm, racemes or panicles, contracted, with 1(2) branches per node;

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

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

5-6.5(8) mm, with 3-5(6) 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, ovate to lanceolate, glabrous, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes about 3 mm;

upper glumes about 4 mm;

lemmas 4-5 mm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, sometimes scabrous towards the apices, apices acute, awns 0.8-2(2.5) mm, terminal;

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

anthers 2-3.5 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

= unknown.

= 14.