Flora of North America species comparison

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

40-100(120) cm, glabrous, erect or slightly decumbent at the base.

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 1/3 their length, glabrous, smooth or slightly scabrous, shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous, smooth or slightly scabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5(0.7) mm;

blades 1.8-6 mm wide, vegetative shoot blades narrower than the cauline blades, flat or loosely conduplicate or convolute, abaxial surfaces glabrous, adaxial surfaces slightly scabrous or pubescent, veins 7-19, ribs obscure to prominent;

abaxial sclerenchyma in narrow strands;

adaxial sclerenchyma developed;

pillars or girders 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.

10-20 cm, open, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches lax, more or less spreading, spikelets borne towards the ends of the branches.

9-13.5 mm, with 4-6 florets.

(7)7.5-11 mm, with 2-6(7) 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.

lanceolate, glabrous, smooth or the apices slightly scabrous, acuminate;

lower glumes 2-4 mm;

upper glumes 3-4.6 mm;

calluses wider than long, smooth or slightly scabrous, glabrous;

lemmas 5.5-7 mm, lanceolate, scabrous or puberulent, minutely bidentate, awned, awns (1.5)2-5(8) mm, subterminal, straight to slightly curved or kinked;

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

anthers (3)3.4-4 mm;

ovary apices pubescent.

= unknown.

= 28.