Flora of North America species comparison

(35)50-100(120) cm, erect or decumbent at the base, scabrous.

2.5-10 (14) cm, up to twice as tall as the vegetative shoot leaves, usually geniculate to prostrate, erect at anthesis, glabrous, smooth.

closed for less than 73 their length, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.2-0.6(1) mm;

blades 3-10 mm wide, flat or loosely convolute, abaxial and adaxial surfaces scabrous or puberulent, veins 13-29, ribs obscure;

sclerenchyma in narrow abaxial and adaxial strands;

pillars or girders formed at the major veins.

closed for about 1/2 their length, smooth or slightly scabrous, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades (0.5)0.8-1.1 mm in diameter, conduplicate, usually straight, veins 5-7, ribs 3-5, abaxial surfaces smooth or sparsely scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7(9) narrow strands, usually less than twice as wide as high;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

10-40 cm, open, with 1-2(5) branches per node;

branches lax, usually spreading, sometimes reflexed.

1.5-3.5 cm, often racemes, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches erect, lower branches with 1-2(3+) spikelets.

6-12 mm, with (2)3-5(6) florets.

4.5-8.5 mm, with (2)3-6 florets.

sparsely scabrous towards the apices, acuminate to subulate;

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

upper glumes (2)3-6 mm;

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

lemmas 5-9 mm, glabrous, sometimes sparsely scabrous, lanceolate, apices entire, acute to acuminate, awned, awns (2.5) 5-15(20) mm, terminal, straight, sometimes curved or kinked;

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

anthers 1.5-2.5(3) mm;

ovary apices pubescent.

exceeded by the upper florets, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, mostly glabrous and smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes 1.8-3.5 mm;

upper glumes 2.9—4.3 mm;

lemmas 3.6-5.2 mm, scabrous distally, apices entire, awns 1.1-2.9 mm, usually terminal, sometimes slightly subterminal;

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

anthers 0.6-1.1 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

leaf sheaths somewhat inflated;

flag leaf blades (0.3)0.5-2 cm.

= 28.

= 28.