Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

(10)20-41 cm, smooth, glabrous throughout or pubescent near the inflorescence, bases often geniculate.

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 3/4 their length, often splitting with age, coarsely ribbed, shredding into fibers, bases reddish brown, scarious;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.4(0.6) mm;

blades 0.3-0.8(1) mm in diameter, conduplicate, green or glaucous, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or puberulent;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7(9) small strands;

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)5-12 cm, usually paniculate, sometimes racemose or sub-racemose, compact or open, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches stiff or somewhat lax, lower branches with 1-3 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, glabrous or pubescent, the distal florets vegetative.

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.

more or less normally developed, ovate to lanceolate;

lower glumes (2.5)3-3.5(5.5);

upper glumes 3.5-4.5(6.5);

lowest lemma in each spikelet usually normally developed, acute, unawned, usually without reproductive structures or the structures abortive;

subsequent lemmas modified into leafy bracts;

paleas usually absent, shorter than the lemmas if present, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers usually aborted, when present 1.5-2.3(3) mm;

ovaries rarely present, apices glabrous.

= unknown.

= 49, 50, 63.