Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

(45) 60-100(120) cm, glabrous, smooth or scabrous 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 less than 1/3 their length, smooth or scabrous, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 2-5(9) mm, entire or lacerate, not ciliate;

blades 1.5-3 mm wide, 0.8-1.8 mm in diameter when conduplicate, deciduous, abaxial surfaces scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent, veins 9-15, ribs 7-13;

abaxial sclerenchyma a more or less continuous band;

adaxial sclerenchyma present;

girders usually formed at the major veins, sometimes only pillars present.

(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.

(7)10-15(17) cm, open, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

branches 4.5-9 cm, lax, erect or spreading, spikelets borne towards the ends of the branches.

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

(8)10-14 mm, with (3)4-5(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.

unequal to subequal, ovate-lanceolate, scabrous or smooth, acute;

lower glumes (2)3.5-5.5 mm;

upper glumes (2.5)4.5-6.5(7) mm;

lemmas 6-10 mm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, scabrous or smooth, unawned, sometimes mucronate, mucros to 0.2 mm;

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

anthers 3-4.5 mm;

ovary apices densely pubescent.

= unknown.

= 28, 42.