Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

(5)10-35 (45) cm, pubescent near 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, glabrous or puberulent, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.2-0.5 mm;

blades 0.5-0.8 mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or hirsute, veins (3)5-7, ribs 3-5, 1 distinct and 2-4 indistinct;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3-7 broad, sometimes confluent strands, covering 1/2 or more of the surface.

(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.

(1.5)2-10 cm, contracted, with 1(2) branches per node;

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

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

pseudoviviparous, varying in length with the stage of vegetative proliferation, the glumes and often 1 or 2 adjacent florets more or less normally developed or only slightly elongated, the distal florets replaced by leafy bracts.

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.

ovate-lanceolate, densely puberulent to pubescent throughout;

lower glumes 2-4.5 mm;

upper glumes (2.7)3.8-5.2 mm;

normal lemmas 3.5-5 mm, densely hairy to pubescent, sometimes awned, awns to 0.2 mm;

vegetative bracts unawned, leaflike, sometimes with ligules;

paleas usually reduced or absent, well-formed paleas about as long as the lemmas;

anthers usually poorly developed and the pollen sterile, well-formed anthers to about 2.5 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

= unknown.

= 28.