Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

(15)20-40(45) 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 about 1/2 their length, glabrous, shredding into fibers, sometimes slowly;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5(1) mm;

blades to 3 mm wide when flat, 0.5-1 (1.5) mm in diameter when conduplicate, veins (3)5, ribs (1)3(5), abaxial surfaces smooth or slightly scabrous, adaxial surfaces sparsely scabrous;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3-5 narrow strands less than twice as wide as high;

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.

3-5(8) cm, contracted, with 1-3 branches per node;

branches stiff, erect, scabrous, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

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

(4.5)5-6.5(7) mm, with 2-5 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, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, mostly smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes 1.5-3 mm;

upper glumes 2.5-3.8 mm;

lemmas 3-4.5 mm, glabrous or puberulent near the apices, awns (0.3)1-1.5 mm, terminal;

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

anthers 0.6-0.9(1.4) mm;

ovary apices densely and conspicuously pubescent.

= unknown.

= unknown.