Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

(3)10-15 (18) cm, more than twice as tall as the vegetative shoot leaves, erect, glabrous, sometimes slightly scabrous below the inflorescences.

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, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.3-0.5 mm;

blades (0.3)0.4-0.8(1) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent, veins 5-7(9), ribs (3)5(7);

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7 strands, usually less than twice as wide as high;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent;

flag leaf sheaths often somewhat inflated;

flag leaf blades 0.2-1 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.

(0.7)1-5 cm, usually racemes;

branches erect, lower branches with 1(2) spikelets.

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

(4)5-7(8) mm, with 2-4(5) 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-lanceolate to lanceolate;

lower glumes (1.2)2.5-3.2 mm;

upper glumes (2.4)3.2-4.8 mm;

lemmas (3)4-5.5(7) mm, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, glabrous, scabrous distally, awns (0.2)0.5-2.5 mm, terminal;

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

anthers (0.6)0.9-1.2 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

= unknown.

= 14.