Flora of North America species comparison

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

(11)13.5-25(28) cm, smooth and glabrous throughout or sparsely to densely scabrous or puberulent below the inflorescence.

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

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades 0.5-1 mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins 5-7, ribs 3-5, 1 distinct and 2-4 indistinct;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3-7 small strands, covering less than 1/2 the abaxial surface and usually less than twice as wide as high.

(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.

(1)3-4.8 cm, contracted, usually panicles, sometimes racemes, erect, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches erect, lower branches with (1)2+ spikelets.

9-13.5 mm, with 4-6 florets.

pseudoviviparous, their length varying with the stage of vegetative proliferation, the glumes and often 1 or 2 adjacent florets more or less normally developed, or only slightly elongated, the distal florets replaced by bracts.

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 and smooth, sometimes scabrous towards the apices, or puberulent throughout or only towards the apices;

lower glumes (2)3-6 mm;

upper glumes (2.7)3-7 mm;

normal lemmas 3.3-6 mm, mostly smooth or scabrous distally, glabrous or puberulent, awned or unawned, sometimes varying within a panicle, awns to 1 mm;

vegetative bracts unawned, leaflike, sometimes with ligules;

paleas usually reduced or absent, well-formed paleas about as long as the lemmas, intercostal region scabrous or puberulent distally;

anthers usually not developed, well-formed anthers to about 2 mm;

ovaries sometimes not developed;

ovary apices, when present, glabrous.

= unknown.

= 49, 56.