Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

(8)10-35 (50) cm, erect, smooth, glabrous or sparsely 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, glabrous or pilose, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

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

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3 strands, 2 at the margins and 1 opposite the midvein, strands as wide or wider than the veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent;

flag leaf blades 0.3-2 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.

1.5-4(5.5) cm, panicles or racemes, contracted, with 1(2) branches per node;

branches erect, lower branches with 1-2 spikelets.

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

(5)7-9(11) mm, with (2)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 2.5-3.4 mm;

upper glumes 3-4.3 mm;

lemmas 4-5.5 mm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, sometimes scabrous towards the apices, awns 0.8-2.6(3) mm, terminal;

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

anthers (2)2.4-3.5 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

= unknown.

= 14.