Flora of North America species comparison

50-120 cm, glabrous.

40-70(100) cm, smooth, glabrous throughout;

nodes usually not exposed.

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 1/2 their length, glabrous or scabrous, persistent or slowly shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules (0.2)0.3-0.5 mm;

blades 1.5-3 mm in diameter, loosely conduplicate to flat, persistent, abaxial surfaces glabrous and smooth, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent on the ribs, veins 7-13, ribs 7-10(13), blades of the lower and upper cauline leaves similar in length and stiffness;

abaxial sclerenchyma in strands opposite and about as wide as the major veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma often present opposite the major veins;

pillars or girders often developed.

(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.

8-12(15) cm, loosely contracted, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches lax, spreading or loosely erect, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

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

8-15(18) mm, with (3)4-6(10) 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, scabrous distally;

lower glumes (2)3.5-5.5 mm;

upper glumes (4)5.5-7(8) mm;

calluses wider than long, glabrous, sometimes slightly scabrous;

lemmas (5.5)8-10(11) mm, lanceolate, scabrous or puberulent at least distally, attenuate, sometimes minutely bidentate, awns 1-3(3.5) mm, terminal or subterminal, straight, occasionally absent;

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

anthers (3)3.7-5.7 mm;

ovary apices sparsely or densely pubescent.

= unknown.

= unknown.