Flora of North America species comparison

(5)8-50(60) cm, usually smooth and glabrous, occasionally sparsely scabrous or puberulent below the inflorescence.

(15)22-35(50) cm, erect, glabrous, smooth.

closed for about 1/2 their length, glabrous, smooth or scabrous, usually persistent, rarely slowly shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

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

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3-7 strands, sometimes partly confluent or forming a continuous band, usually more than twice as wide as high;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent;

flag leaf blades 0.5-4 cm.

closed for about 1/2 their length, pubescent or glabrous, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.4 mm;

blades 0.6-1 mm in diameter, conduplicate, veins 5-7, ribs 1-3(5), indistinct;

abaxial sclerenchyma forming continuous or interrupted bands;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

(2)3-10(13) cm, contracted, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches usually erect, spreading at anthesis, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

2.5-9(11) cm, compact, erect, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches stiff, erect, smooth or scabrous, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

(3)4.5-8.8(10) mm, with (2)3-5(7) florets.

5.5-9(11) mm, with 3-6(7) florets.

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

lower glumes 1.5-3.5 mm;

upper glumes 2.5-4.8 mm;

lemmas (3)3.4-4(5.6) mm, mostly smooth, often scabrous distally, awns (0.4) 1-2(2.5) mm;

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

anthers (0.8)1.2-1.7(2) mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

exceeded by the upper florets, ovate-lanceolate to ovate, glabrous or pubescent distally;

lower glumes (1.8)2-3(4) mm;

upper glumes 2.8-4(5.1) mm;

lemmas (3.5)4-6(6.2) mm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, smooth or scabrous near the apices, sometimes pubescent distally, awns (0.6)1-1.5(2) mm, terminal;

paleas about equal to the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers (1.8)2-3 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

= 42.

= 42 [in European literature for the horticultural forms].