Flora of North America species comparison

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

35-80(100) cm, smooth, glabrous throughout;

nodes usually not exposed.

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 less than 1/2 their length, usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent, strongly reined, persistent or slowly shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules (0.2)0.3-0.8(1) mm;

blades 0.5-1.3 mm in diameter when conduplicate, to 2.5 mm wide when flat, persistent, abaxial surfaces glabrous and smooth, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent, veins 5-9(12), ribs 5-9, blades of the lower cauline leaves usually reduced to stiff horny points, blades of the upper cauline leaves longer and more flexuous;

abaxial sclerenchyma in strands about as wide as the adjacent veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma developed;

pillars and girders often present.

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

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

(4)8-15 cm, open or somewhat contracted, with 1-2 branches per node;

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

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

9-15 mm, with (2)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 lanceolate, glabrous, smooth or scabridulous distally;

lower glumes (2.4)2.8-5 mm, distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes 4.5-7(8.5) mm;

lemmas (4.8)6-8.5 mm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, smooth or slightly scabrous, apices acute, unawned or awned, awns 0.2-1.5(2) mm;

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

anthers (2)2.5-4(5) mm;

ovary apices densely pubescent.

= 42.

= 28.