Flora of North America species comparison

(35)50-90 (100) cm, erect, glabrous, smooth.

20-40(50) cm, erect or somewhat geniculate at the base, densely scabrous or pubescent below the inflorescence;

nodes usually not exposed, culms often breaking at the upper nodes at maturity.

closed for less than 1/2 their length, glabrous, hirsute, or scabrous, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades 0.5-1(1.2) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous or puberulent, adaxial surfaces sometimes scabrous, glabrous or pubescent, veins (5)7-9, ribs 5-9, well defined;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7 wide strands, sometimes confluent into a single band;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

closed for less than 1/2 their length, glabrous, persistent or slowly shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.2-0.5 mm;

blades (1)1.2-2.5(3) mm wide, persistent, loosely conduplicate, convolute, or flat, abaxial surfaces glabrous, adaxial surfaces with stiff hairs, veins 7-13, ribs (6)7-13;

abaxial sclerenchyma in strands opposite most of the veins, about as wide as the veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma often present;

pillars or girders sometimes present at the major veins.

(7)8-20(25) cm, loosely to densely contracted, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches erect to slightly spreading, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

6-12 cm, open, with 2-4 branches per node;

branches stiffly divaricate, densely scabrous-ciliate on the angles, lower branches with 2+ spikelets;

pedicels stiffly hairy.

9-13.5 mm, with 4-6 florets.

5.5-8 mm, with 2(3) florets.

exceeded by the upper florets, ovate-lanceolate, smooth or scabrous distally;

lower glumes (2)2.5-5 mm;

upper glumes 4-6.2 mm;

lemmas 5-7(8.2) mm, scabrous near the apices, awns (2)3-5 mm, terminal, usually more than 1/2 as long as the lemma bodies;

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

anthers (2.6)2.8-3.6(4) mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

exceeded by the upper florets, lanceolate-acuminate, sparsely scabrous to puberulent;

lower glumes 3.5-5 mm, distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes 5-7 mm;

lemmas 5-7 mm, chartaceous, scabrous or puberulent, minutely bidentate, awned, awns 1.5-3 mm, subterminal;

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

anthers 1.5-2.5 mm;

ovary apices pubescent.

= unknown.

= 28.