Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

15-65 cm, glabrous, smooth.

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 less than 1/2 their length, lower sheaths glabrous or retrorsely hirsute, persistent, upper sheaths glabrous;

collars glabrous;

ligules (0.2)0.3-0.5(1) mm;

blades all alike, 0.4-0.8 mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces sparsely scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous to pubescent, veins 5-7, ribs (1)3-5;

abaxial sclerenchyma in (3)5-7 narrow to broad strands, usually wider than the adjacent veins;

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.

5-15 cm, loosely contracted, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

branches erect, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

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

(6)7-9(11) mm, with (2)4-6 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, lanceolate, scabrous distally;

lower glumes 2.5-4 mm;

upper glumes (2.8)3-5 mm;

lemmas (3.8)4-6 mm, glabrous, smooth or scabrous distally, awns 1-2.5 mm;

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

anthers 2.2-3.5 mm;

ovary apices sparsely pubescent.

= unknown.

= 28.